| Title | : | A Good Girls Guide to Murder (A Good Girls Guide to Murder, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1405293187 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781405293181 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 433 |
| Publication | : | First published May 2, 2019 |
| Awards | : | Kentucky Bluegrass Award 9-12 (2022), 本屋大賞 Translated Fiction (2022), Goodreads Choice Award Young Adult Fiction (2020), British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year (2020) |
But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?
A Good Girls Guide to Murder (A Good Girls Guide to Murder, #1) Reviews
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APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE! One of the quickest, one of the best crazy roller coaster experiences I had as soon as I took this book into my hands. Still shaky, blubbering (I already requested a translator to communicate properly), nail-less, confused, dizzy but also smiling and happy! GAVE MY FIVE FULL MYSTERIOUS SHINING STARS!
GREAT STORY TELLING, ATTENTION TAKER PLOT, FANTASTIC CHARACTERIZATION, FAST AND HEART THROBBING PACING AND GREAT-SATISFYING ENDING! What are you waiting for guys? The book is NOT going to fall from the sky and drop on your lap! Go and buy it and send me thank you letters for my encouraging words!
We have an amazing heroine, Pippa (don’t confuse her with longstocking) Fitz-Amobi loves to search, pry, dig into, talented, smart, nerdy, funny, social, friendly, brave, stands between Nancy Drew and Veronica Mars, older version of Harriet Walsh, with her technical skills, tattoo-less and leather-less, chain-less version of Lisbeth Salander and a younger version Molder-less and alien nation-less version of Dana Scully!
Blurb is tempting, amazing, intriguing makes you dive in, clasp the book into your fingers and never let it go as I did. My dogs are jealous of the book by barking to the moon to protest me. But I resumed my reading because it was gripping, hooking you from the first page kind of book.
Five years ago, Andie Bell got missing and presumed dead by Sal Singh who committed suicide and sent a text message confessing his crime before he’d killed himself. But Andie’s body had never been found. The case is close! But Pippa is determined to open it by starting her own investigation process to write her school project and she firstly knocked Sal’s family door to ask an interview with his 20 years old brother Ravi who naturally becomes partners in crime with her and their project which turns out the mission for proving Sal’s innocence and finding who might have killed Andie!
As they start to dig more, the person of interest list of Pippa becomes longer, includes Pippa’s best friend’s sister.
There are too many questions screaming inside your head:
Who really killed Andie? Or Andie is really dead? Did she deserve her ending? Because as soon as we learn more about her, we discover she is a bully, drama queen, drug dealer, blackmailer! Her amazing attributes gave me itchy fists to punch her. (It’s strange because I never wanted to kick presumed dead person or I’m not sure she is dead person! Well, that’s a first because this character is living, breathing -or not- scumbag!)
Who put the blame on Sal? Or Sal really did it? Well, he’s portrait of nice, humble, angelic guy made me call him Castiel as like Supernatural’s angel character. But we can sense he has been hiding something. His friends changed their testimonies about his where beings and his leaving time from their place and rejected to be his alibis. So where was he at the murder time?
Who was sending threatening messages to Pippa to stop her digging?
Well, I made one of my fastest reads and my spider sense didn’t work properly to find the killer or killers till the last pages. The author was always ten steps ahead of me! I’m so blessed to be beaten by her smart writing. I had great time to visualize this as a great YA mystery movie or limited Netflix series! (Anything could be better to replace the third season of 13 reasons why which could be named as 13 reasons of list why the hell did you shoot the third season!!!)
It was moving, enjoyable, nail biter, mind bending, surprisingly exciting, satisfying read. I enjoyed every page, every clue, every thrilling moments of this book. I highly recommend it! It was even better than One of Us is lying!
And the best news is there are 3 more sequels to come out! I already started my excitement dance which is between Beyonce- All the single ladies moves and Staying Alive-Travolta moves. Yay!
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I refuse to believe that the first half and the second half of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder are, in fact, part of the same book.
Half One: 1 star
A few years prior to the start of this book, a girl named Andie Bell vanished into thin air. Sal Singh murdered her and then committed suicide.
Allegedly.
But Pippa is determined to solve the mystery and prove Sal innocent. With the help of Sal's brother, Ravi, she interviews suspects, tracks down clues, and proves her mettle as things get dangerous.
This was just utterly ridiculous and nonsensical.
To start with, Pippa Pig decides to solve a murder mystery as her senior capstone project. And she expects to succeed. She wants to prove Sal innocent just because he was nice to her once a few years ago.
She goes around interviewing people related to the Andie Bell case, who conveniently confess their secrets and inner thoughts to her. Apparently, the police never even bothered to talk to them, because ~logic.~
She goes as far as to actually break into people's houses and look through their stuff. She breaks a dozen laws, blackmails people, hacks some Facebook accounts. And she does this to prove someone innocent. What, may I ask, is the point in proving Sal innocent if you're committing crimes while doing it? She somehow thinks it's excusable to invade people's privacy to clear the name of one person. Sal was proven guilty, so all she's doing is getting herself in trouble.
On top of that, Pip has no personality. Her entire character is based off of this mystery. This is a common theme in thrillers/mysteries--a boring main character. But in a book with a very uncompelling mystery, it needed something more.
I think she's supposed to be a "good girl" because she likes doing homework and she's very focused on school. That's her sole personality trait.
And the information she discovers relies entirely on coincidence. Oops, Pip found a weird photo. Oops, it connects neatly to the next clue. How convenient.
Live footage of Pip and Ravi:
Live footage of me:
Half Two: 3 stars
And then this book skyrocketed.
I'm honestly still impressed with the way it ended. Even though I knew the ending was purely based on the very coincidental evidence uncovered in the first half, I was still shocked.
Suddenly, the pace picked up. I actually wanted to continue reading. Ravi became a great character, instead of just a random guy there to be token diverse.
Everything pulled together a little too neatly. The murderer confessed everything in a very cliche monologue.
But I do think it was a great wrap-up. All the clues were tied together intelligently, and I genuinely enjoyed the second half.
However, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder isn't remotely believable. It relies heavily on coincidence and the audience's indulgence, so I have to give it a low rating.
2 stars, since when was Pippa Pig a detective? -
You heard it here first, folks. I have found a new favorite YA Thriller. I am stoked by how much I loved this!!
For her Senior Capstone Project, Pippa Fitz-Amboi, an extraordinarily-focused high school girl, decides to solve a murder.
Andie Bell, disappeared five years ago from Pippa's hometown; foul play was suspected.
The police, and thus everyone else, believe Andie was murdered by her boyfriend at the time, Sal Singh, who subsequently disposed of the body.
Their biggest piece of evidence, a purported confession Sal texted his parents, days after Andie disappeared. This confession was sent just prior to Sal's death, an apparent suicide.
In spite of this, Pippa does not believe in Sal's guilt. Andie's body was never recovered and there is no real physical evidence linking him to her disappearance.
Pippa is such a great character. She's an overachiever, who works tirelessly towards achieving her goals.
You can tell, once she sets her sights on something, she will not give up and that's exactly how she tackles her Senior project.
I think one of the things that connected me so much to this story was Pippa. I found her super relatable and loved reading from her perspective.
She ends up befriending Sal's younger brother, Ravi. That additional commitment to him, and clearing Sal's name, makes Pippa even more steadfast; in spite of very real danger.
Additionally, the format of this was creative and engaging. The use of mixed media sources, including the transcripts for the interviews from Pippa's investigation, and a present day narrative, made me feel like I was a part of the action.
As Pippa is evaluating what she has learned along the way, she recaps things, as you actually would if you were working on this type of project; including a running list of current suspects tracked on her murder-board.
The stakes were high and there were times Pippa was legitimately in very real danger. Through it all, she stayed true to herself and fought for justice for Andie and Sal.
I loved this so much, as I said. I could go on for many more paragraphs of all the positive attributes of this story, but don't just take my word for it, PICK THIS UP!!!
If you love it even half as much as I did, you're in for a good time! Well done by Holly Jackson. I am so excited to get more mysteries from her!!! -
"Who do you think I am, an amateur?"
Move aside, Nancy Drew! There's a new teen detective in town. And she won't rest until she's unearthed all your secrets and gotten to the bottom of a mystery that has long held her town captive.
Pip never truly believed what all of Fairview has accepted: that Sal Singh murdered his beautiful and popular girlfriend Andie Bell and then killed himself. Five years later, Pip is a senior in high school, and decides for her final project that she's going to find out once and for all what really happened that night.
I'm always in the mood for a good whodunnit. Give me a small group of suspects, everyone hiding secrets, more twists and turns than you can shake a stick at, and red herrings galore, and I'm in heaven. I loved putting on my detective cap and puzzling out the clues alongside Pip as she investigates and solves this mystery.
For me, in order for a mystery to be successful, it has to be so riveting that there is no room for me to think. Once my mind gets going, it has this annoying habit of supplying me with random unsolicited guesses, some of which inevitably turn out to be right, and ruining the surprises. So it's best if I'm so taken with the story that I'm only surfacing to turn the pages as fast as I can. And this story was exactly that.
I grew up on Nancy Drew, and have been looking for an older version of that for as long as I've outgrown it. And how wonderful that this story turned out to be all that I've been looking for and more. Pip is clever, spunky, and fearless, the perfect teen detective staring down secrets and murderers. And the fact that this is a series means I won't have to say goodbye to her just yet.
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See also, my thoughts on:
#2.
Good Girl, Bad Blood
#3.
As Good As Dead
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Surprise! I was asked to write the recommendation for this story on the Book of the Month website, and I'm thrilled to finally be able to share it with you as it's live on the site. If you'd like to go directly to the page, you can click
HERE, just keep scrolling below if you are outside of the US and not a subscriber.
As a reader who developed her book obsession by devouring every Nancy Drew installment in elementary school, I've been an avid enthusiast of YA crime fiction for most of my life. I cannot resist a good mystery, and am always on the hunt for the next "it" book in the genre. I'm a busy mom of two, so it is rare for me to find a book so special that I can finish it in two sittings, but that's exactly what I found with A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.
Pippa Fitz-Amobi is a true crime loving teen who aspires to become a top-notch journalist one day. So naturally, she decides to focus her senior capstone project on her small town's most buzz-worthy, unsolved crime: the murder of Andie Bell. What begins as a simple proposal quickly turns into an in-depth investigation full of unexpected twists and turns. After teaming up with the alleged murderer's brother, the pair spiral into a web of danger and obsession, and quickly wonder if they've gotten themselves in too deep.
This debut reads as if you are investigating alongside the main characters, and fans of true crime podcasts will rejoice in the multimedia formatting that so wittily engages the reader from beginning to end. If you enjoy a grounded, engaging mystery that features a diverse cast, discussions surrounding racial injustice, and the importance of found family, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Whether you are aged 13 or 102, this book is for you!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy. -
4.5 stars*
love a good small town murder mystery and this was so good!!
trigger warnings: rape, drug use, death of a pet, kidnapping -
HOLY SHIT I STAYED UP TILL 6AM READING THIS BECAUSE I JUST NEEDED ANSWERS!!
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(3.5) I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to! Albeit it is filled with cliches, but the author manages to make it a thrilling story with lots of tension and excellent pacing. I'll definitely be picking up the next books in the series!
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This was good but just good.
I think I'm getting too old to suspend my disbelief. The MC puts herself in so much danger by meeting up potential murderers, known drug dealers, etc. Everyone tells her so much personal information just like that... not for me.
Won't be continuing the series but the ending was good! -
this was an exceptionally good mystery, YA or otherwise. action packed, clues on every page. fun characters to root for. good red herrings. deserving of the hype and imo far better than other similar books (*cough, Truly Devious*)
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From the moment she said “holy pepperoni”, I realised i was too old to be reading this book
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WHAT THE….???!!
Hell no.
Did I even read the same book as everyone else??
Apparently TF not!! The way I pulled an all nighter finishing this I—
Full review here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rCh3...
1.5 STARS -
Well, it appears, I've been reading YA mysteries all wrong these past years. Evidently, I should not expect plausibility, believability, character development or strong motivations in these books, like I do when reading adult mysteries. No wonder there is only ONE teen mystery that I think is good, and actual teens don't even like reading it, from what I hear. (It's
Sadie in case you were wondering).
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder starts off as a Serial rip-off, with upstanding Pippa swooping in Sarah Koenig-like to clear the name of a poor brown guy accused of the murder of a popular girl whose body remains missing. You see, it's only Pippa who believes in Sal's innocence, and she will save the day, because she is a GOOD GIRL and Sal was once nice to her years ago! I was already annoyed at that point.
However, from there this story devolves into a sleuthing adventure where Pippa manages to have every Tom, Dick and Harry confess all their misdoings to her, because PIPPA IS WRITING A SCHOOL PAPER ABOUT THE MURDER. She catphishes people, breaks into houses, blackmails drug dealers, discovers 5-year old evidence in plain view, because she is just so much better than the police at everything. I can understand why police wouldn't care to pursue a case of a
Who Drew The D!cks or The Turd Bulrglar variety, but a suicide and a presumed murder? And the victim is still missing and nobody but Pippa cares? Have you heard of Natalie Halloway? She disappeared 15 years ago, and she is still on TV. The whole investigation was one giant eyeroll for me.
Anyway, to put it short, this book has nothing that I look for in a mystery. I am not reading any more YA mysteries if suspending disbelief entirely is the main requirement to get through them. I am just going to stick with Courtney Summers from now on. Thankfully she has another one coming out next year, and it's about cults!
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OMG QUÉ WHAT WOW.
Tenía ganas de leer este libro desde hacía tiempo. No es que hubiera leído muchas reseñas positivas ni nada por el estilo, pero me daba esa sensación misteriosa que algunos libros te dan y sabes que necesitas leerlo y que te va a gustar. Sabéis a lo que me refiero, ¿no?
En Asesinato para principiantes tenemos una trama que sinceramente me ha sorprendido muy positivamente. Los thrillers juveniles de este estilo, a lo Natasha Preston o incluso Sara Shepard, suelen quedarse a veces un poco en la superficie de todo. Bueno, quizá no es la superficie, pero sí que me suele faltar un poco que me construyan mejor todo. Y es que Holly Jackson no escatima en detalles.
A ver, el libro te agarra desde el primer momento. Yo normalmente leo el primer capítulo de un libro para decidir si va a ser mi próxima lectura o no, y en este caso es que llevaba página y media y dije pOR DIOS, SÍ, ESTO TIENE QUE SER MÍO. El estilo de la autora hace que te introduzcas de lleno en la historia, y lo mejor de todo, es que no es solo un thriller.
Para que un libro de estas características funcione, o por lo menos para mí es esencial, tiene que tener una buena protagonista con la que conecte, entienda y quiera luchar por ella. Pip es así. La construcción del personaje no es algo accesorio, al contrario. Holly Jackson se centra bastante en tener una protagonista muy definida, conociendo detalles de su vida privada, relaciones con amigos y demás. No hace que el ritmo del libro baje y no hace tampoco que te impacientes para descubrir qué está pasando en el pueblo. La manera en la que Jackson maneja el espacio entre escenas me ha gustado mucho.
No es muy normal para mí ponerle 5 estrellas a un libro de este género. No sé por qué, la verdad, pero puedo recordar pocas ocasiones donde un thriller me haya volado la cabeza tantísimo. Pero es que en Asesinato para principiantes tenemos una historia que está perfectamente hilada, que se desarrolla lentamente pero con decenas de giros, y que te atrapa cada vez más porque se va convirtiendo en una locura cada vez más increíble.
De hecho, le han visto el increíble potencial que tiene y los derechos audiovisuales han sido comprados. Esperemos que la cosa fluya y tengamos a Pippa y Ravi en la gran (o pequeña) pantalla, porque de verdad, este libro es increíble.
Tenemos toda la trama de misterio, sobre qué pasó con Addie Bell y Sal Singh, cuyas averiguaciones van poniéndote los pelos de punta cada vez más. Los métodos para descubrir mentiras o verdades a medias de Pip son de aplaudir, porque es una chica muy inteligente y que no le tiene miedo a nada: tan solo persigue la verdad y la justicia.
Una de mis cosas favoritas del libro es lo woke que es la autora. Pippa tiene un padrastro -al que llama padre- de origen nigeriano, su nuevo mejor amigo es indio y una de sus amigas es lesbiana. Y dirás: “¡pero la protagonista sigue siendo blanca! ¡Es una privilegiada!” Y así es. Y, de hecho, es tan así que hasta ella misma lo dice. Hay situaciones de racismo en el libro en las que Pippa habla sobre tener privilegios por ser blanca, sobre cómo puede tener actitudes racistas pese a haberse criado con un padre negro… Me ha encantado que en un libro de misterio aparentemente solo de eso, se debatan o comenten este tipo de temas sociales. También se habla de machismo, abusos sexuales… En general, es un libro con temas de actualidad, y quizá la excusa para tratarlos es el misterio. (Aunque tampoco es que la crítica sea una pieza central, no nos confundamos.)
Sin embargo, con lo que más me quedo de Asesinato para principiantes es con la pedazo de trama de Holly Jackson y cómo está organizada. Os prometo que es increíble la cantidad de capas que tiene la historia, la cantidad de personajes relacionados… Es que sigo sin palabras. Qué maravilla. Ahora solo queda esperar a ver si traen el segundo pronto a España, porque si no… Amazon, is that you?
(También os digo, que me da mucha rabia hacer la reseña sin spoilers. Se me queda corta comparada con todo lo que quiero hablar, pero no quiero joderos la experiencia. Confiad en mí cuando os digo que os va a flipar este libro.)
Tw: tramas sobre suicidio, asesinatos, violaciones, abusos sexuales, pedofilia, muerte de animales, consumo de drogas y alcoholismo. -
this story is giving off such strong ‘serial’ vibes that i can only imagine how amazing listening to the audiobook version would have been.
a re-investigation of a cold case, including detailed diagrams and evidence files, with a really interesting mystery and suspects - what more could you want? this is every true crime enthusiasts dream story.
the one thing preventing me from giving this five stars is the same thing i tend to find obnoxious about most YA mystery/thrillers - the need to include every crime imaginable. this murder revolves around and a lot more. by the end of the story, its just too farfetched to be realistically believable. such a shame.
but overall, this story is solidly entertaining, one that i would have absolutely no problem recommending to people. now excuse me while i go redownload the entire first season of ‘serial’ to listen to again.
↠ 4 stars -
The dad wouldn’t allow boys in the bedroom but was fully OK with Pip going on unsupervised co-ed sleepovers…….
The best audiobook of the year! Not only is this the best mystery of the year, the audiobook had a full cast. When Pip interviewed suspects or witnesses, it sounded like an old-time tape recorder.
Secrets abound in this novel! A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is page-turning and riveting. This book reminds me of back in the day when Riley Sager wrote great novels.
The ending was fully satisfying and one that I did not expect.
Do you ever wish you could read a book again for the first time? Yep. That's me and this book.
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Hoy tengo ganas de escribir en GR, así que daré mi breve opinión de este libro.
¡La verdad es que me gustó bastante! Ustedes saben que llevo tiempo interesada en leer thrillers y este me lo habían recomendado un montón, luego vi las reseñas y terminé por convencerme, ¡no me arrepiento!
Pippa, la protagonista, es un ser fácil de querer, jajaja. Sí siento que a veces era demasiado impulsiva y no medía las consecuencias de sus actos, pero aún así solo quería que todo le saliera bien. No sé, como protagonista me pareció dinámica y divertida y carismática, en ningún momento me cansé de seguirla en su investigación :). DIGO, sí llegué a pensar que estaba llevando las cosas muy lejos, pero se me hizo un personaje tan bien construido, que sus acciones tenían sentido (tipo de: "¡eso es tan Pippa!").
AWWW, además no me esperaba al interés amoroso y, aunque la historia no se centra para nada en el romance, se me hizo una parejita súper bonita AND I WAS ROOTING FOR THEM.
El elemento principal de la historia es el misterio y está súper bien llevado. El libro te atrapa desde el primer momento y es imposible de soltar. Además, a mí me pareció poco predecible. Teníamos a varios sospechosos y TODOS PODÍAN SER CULPABLES. Todos tenían sus razones muy fuertes. ¿Y adivinen qué? Obviamente no le atiné, jajajaja.
Eso sí, no sé si continuar con la trilogía porque creo que este libro terminó muy bien así. Pero quién sabe, no estoy cerrada a las posibilidades. -
SMART GIRLS RULE!
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a smart YA mystery/thriller about a 17-year-old girl who investigates a murder that rocked her small town 5 years ago.
Pippa “Pip” Fitz- Amobbi to conduct her Senior Capstone project on the disappearance of Andie Bell, a high school senior who was presumed to be murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh. Shortly after Andie went missing, Sal killed himself and confessed to her murder. But Andie’s body was never found. Convicted by the town and the press, Sal’s name is permanently marred and his family is viewed as the town pariahs. To determine if Sal really was guilty, Pip uses her intelligence and quick wit, to examine multiple angles and threads that were overlooked by the police. This is not a conventional class project, and while it seems a little over the top in the beginning, Pip’s character approaches it in a way that makes sense.
“If a villain can be made, then he can be unmade.”
Pip makes for a great heroine. She is intelligent and strong and has the knack for seeing things that others ignore. A self-identified nerd, you can’t help but root for her. She also is very much 17 years old and a little naive to the ways of the world. I would compare her to a softer version of Veronica Mars.
I was a little apprehensive from the start because I am not a huge fan of Young Adult novels, but this one worked for me. In the beginning, I was constantly thinking “what’s a 17 year old going to find that the police did not.” However, once it became clear that there were gaps in the police investigation that Pip was able to see, I was sold. Also, Pip’s approach to solving the case and getting people to talk about Andie and Sal, etc. helped solidify that this book was the real deal and not just about a kid who happens to luck into solving a crime. Jackson takes a multimodal approach to share Pip’s investigation; the narrative switches from the third person to interview recordings to pages in a diary to email exchanges, which kept it interesting and added an element of realism.
While I was a little hesitant to read this, I was so glad I did. I quickly became immersed in the narrative, wound up loving Pip’s character, and enjoyed the plot--I figured out the murderer very early on, but there were a few twists that threw me for a loop. I look forward to seeing where Pip’s crime-solving skills lead her in the next book in the series! -
This is a teenage detective novel with Nancy Drew vibes and an exciting plot that will be the best way to help you break a reading slump.
Holly Jackson rose up to the expectations and managed to pull out a thriller that is exciting to read.
Police found out that schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh five years ago, and the case is closed now. But Pippa Fitz-Amobi thinks that Sal is not the killer. She chooses this case as the topic for her final year, Senior Capstone Project. She is trying to find the mystery behind Andie Bell's case. Was Sal the real killer? If not, is Pippa's life in danger? Will the killer try to hurt Pippa so that she won't be able to solve the case? Holly Jackson will answer all these questions through this book.
What I learned from this book
1) What is hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia?
This is an interesting new word I learned from this book. Its meaning is fear of long words.“Pip knew a great many things; she knew that hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia was the technical term for the fear of long words.”
2) What happens to all the missing people?
The author shares some interesting statistics related to the missing people in this book. This will help us to know what actually happens to the missing people.“I found these statistics: 80% of missing people are found in the first twenty-four hours. 97% are found in the first week, and 99% of cases are resolved in the first year. That leaves just 1%. 1% of people who disappear are never found. And just 0.25% of all missing persons cases have a fatal outcome."
3) What is toxic productivity, and how can it hurt our life?
Few of my friends and patients are obsessed with watching productivity videos on YouTube. Productivity is always good in our life. But when it reaches such a level that we always try to be productive in all areas of life, it might reach toxic levels. Are the online productivity gurus hurting people's lives instead of helping them? This serious question can only be answered after more profound research and understanding.
The author indirectly mentions toxic productivity in a couple of areas in this book.“What's wrong with me? ... I might seem like the ideal student: homework always in early, every extra credit and extracurricular I can get my hands on, the good girl and the high achiever. But I realized something just now: it's not ambition, not entirely. It's fear. Because I don't know who I am when I'm not working, when I'm not focused on or totally consumed by a task. Who am I between the projects and the assignments, when there's nothing to do? I haven't found her yet and it scares me."
“Your efficiency offends me.”
My favourite three lines from this book“Half less of a bad thing meant there was room for half good.”
“The people you love weren’t algebra: to be calculated, subtracted, or held at arm’s length across a decimal point.”
"But sometimes remembering isn't for yourself, sometimes you do it just to make someone else smile. Those lies were allowed."
What could have been better?
If you are someone who attended Med School, you will know how some patients try to avoid Med School students saying that they are not Doctors even after knowing they will be Doctors in a couple of years.
If we look at the world from the angle of the people I mentioned above, it will be difficult to believe that a teenager is going for an important murder investigation like this, and almost every person connected to it treating her like a real grown-up police officer/ detective and fully cooperating with her and telling her everything they know. It, in fact, looks totally unrealistic from any practical human being's point of view.
Rating
3.5/5 This is a real page-turner with many twists that will satisfy most of the readers. -
This was so much fun ahhhh This book was so good! Definitely one of the best YA thrillers I've ever read. Our main character Pippa is investigating a murder and suicide in her small town that happened a few years ago. Andie Bell, the popular girl in the town was murdered, everyone assumed it was her boyfriend Sal who did it and then a few days later he killed himself. But the story has always seemed a little fishy so she wants to look into it more.
This book was so much fun, the way it was told in interview clips and phone calls was really cool. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE AUDIOBOOK The audiobook is fantastic, it has a full cast of narrators and it actually sounds like real phone calls and it's just so well done. I love our main character Pippa, she's so clever and smart and she's so mature for her age. There were so many twists I didn't see coming, I was pretty shook.
Here's the reading vlog where I read it:
https://youtu.be/ghozh16P12c -
Wow, to było naprawdę bardzo dobre i niesamowicie wciągające.
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Y'ALL I HEARD THEY'RE MAKING A SHOW OUT OF THIS, THIS BETTER NOT BE A JOKE AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I NEED PIP AND RAVI HELP
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Holy cow, I did not expect that ending. I definitely did not guess the murderer, nor did I guess literally anything in this book. I really enjoyed the plot and the murder mystery aspects of it. Great book, and I cannot wait till I get my hands on the next books in this series! -
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
I don't usually read/listen to YA but I decided to do so based on the review of a friend. (Hi, Yun!) The story was very enjoyable and I liked that there were at least eleven people voicing the characters. Pippa's detailed notes and descriptions of her investigations seemed like the way I'd handle something such as this research for a school project. The story is darker than I expected it to be but now that I've looked at the reviews of the next two books in the series, I see that things are going to get even darker.
Pippa is a top notch student, dedicated to her studies, and has stayed very much on the "good girl" side of things when the book starts. I suspect that the decisions that Pippa makes in this story may have moved her away from her "good girl" side to someone who may dwell in a gray area from here on out. Or maybe she even goes to the dark side? I don't know but I'm off to listen to the second book.
TW: animal abuse - It upset me a lot, that's just how I am, I can't help it.
Published February 4th 2020 -
Rating: 1 star.
Genuinely asking myself why I read this. This book had it all - bad writing, a completely unrealistic plot, white savior trope, "I'm not like other girls", and probably the most annoying main character I have ever read about.
For some reason, this teenager is allowed to start a massive murder investigation, where every possible witness tells her everything without her having to work for it, and - of course - she ends up doing what the police couldn't. The whole premise was just so unrealistic and unbelievable that I was annoyed from the very first page.
The mystery itself was also barely a mystery at all, the pacing was off, things made no sense and everything was terribly convenient. Pip kept making random decisions and suspect basically everyone until she finally guessed the right person. At that point in the book, I was just counting down how many pages I still had to suffer through.
Pip had no personality traits aside from her constant need to save everyone because she was such a good person and better than everyone else, which the reader was reminded of every second page. It's never explained why any of these people talk to Pip and basically tell her their entire life stories, or even why she cares enough to launch this entire investigation. Her character has no development and at the end of the novel, she's still exactly as annoying as she was on the very first page.
I wish I hadn't read this, it clearly wasn't for me and a massive waste of time. -
4.75 stars.
“Pip wished she was strong enough, but she’d learned that she wasn’t invincible; she too could break.”
tw: mention of rape, death of an animal, kidnapping, death, drugs.
Notes.
1. If you haven't read the book and don't want to spoil yourself, I recommend that you don't read any further.
2. The spoilers section, and possible random spoilers, will be signposted to avoid any misunderstandings.
I must admit that this is my first thriller book, so I'm not very familiar with the genre, and now I want to read more. And it's also one of the first I've read entirely in English, and as you know that Spanish is my native language, I assume you'll know that it was a bit complex. Although, I'm adapting a bit more to reading in English. Wish me luck, folks.
In A Good Girl's Guide to Murder we follow Pippa Fitz-Amobi, a 17-year-old student whose final year project is the case of Andie Bell, who was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh and taken for granted by the police. But Pippa knows Sal is innocent, so she decides to find out what happened five years ago and who really killed Andie Bell.
Pippa discovers that Andie had many secrets, that she was not the beautiful and tragic victim that the people of Little Kilton martyred and idolised, branding Sal Singh a murderer and a monster, treating his family very badly for it. In addition, Little Kilton holds even more secrets that intrigue Pip and make her want to keep digging to solve the mystery.
Writing.
I don't think I remember reading a book like this, with diary-like entries speaking in first person and then in third person. It was a bit strange, if I'm honest, and it took me a bit longer to adjust. However, it was an easy read in some respects. And, I don't know if it's because of the difference between British and American English, but there were phrases that I had to look up because I didn't understand them, lmao.
Plot.
The plot kept me glued in my seat, not wanting to put my phone down, wanting to know what would happen next. I mention that I was late with this book because college is eating me alive, though I made time to keep reading because I was consumed with thoughts of not knowing what would happen, who the killer would be and if Pip was going to find out. There are a lot of plot twists that I wasn't expecting and a lot of things that made my brain almost melt from thinking about it so much.
Pacing.
It was a quick and light read, and I take back that I was late because of college: I would have finished it sooner if it weren't for homework. It's not that complicated to understand and the pages turn very quickly.
Characters.
Pip is a good girl, addicted to homework and determined to solve the Andie Bell case and prove that Sal Singh is innocent at all costs. So eager is she to find out what really happened, that she finds herself lying to others so that they won't worry about her and try to stop her from abandoning her project.
Ravi is the younger brother of Sal Singh. He has been the target of criticism, and is known as the brother of Andie Bell's killer. Ravi knows his brother is innocent, and when Pip shows up at his door asking him a few questions, he thinks it's a joke. And soon, Ravi becomes Pip's partner in crime, both looking for answers about his brother's sudden death and his innocence in the case. Ravi is a beautiful little baby, don't touch him I want to take care of him.
Also, Ravi: marry me.
Andie was a bitch and it doesn't surprise me much that bad things happened to her. Everyone held her in such high regard, believing she was a good girl whose boyfriend murdered her. Andie ruined several people's lives, and although I thought I would feel bad that she had died, I didn't really. When you find out the truth about Andie Bell, what she did and didn't do, you don't feel any empathy for her.
Cara is Pip's best friend, her older sister is Naomi, who was in turn Sal's best friend and who also keeps a big secret that makes Pip dig very closely into her and her life, including her family.
(Bonus and unnecessary fact: Cara translates from Spanish to English as: 'face' and 'expensive'. Unnecessary examples: Su cara es hermosa= her face is beautiful. La camisa es cara= the shirt is expensive.) Follow me for more unnecessary Spanish classes, they are free of charge.
Pip's family is ok. They're the typical caring and normal family. Tho I loved Vic's jokes, jsjsjs he laughing at his own jokes (just as Ravi) is totally me.
Max Hastings can die and I wouldn't care for him. He deserves the shit going on in his life. He's a dick and you can easily see it. Please, go fuck yourself, you fucking bastard. 🥰🥰🥰
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️oK, PEOPLE, SPOILER SECTION. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
Tho I loved this book, I really enjoyed and liked it a lot, there were many ??? things that left me with a bitter taste on my mouth.
First of all, Pip felt a little bit dry and typical. She's a good girl who starts to lie for her project and she doesn't feel the same anymore. I mean, idk, I can't put it into words, I just hope she felt more real and not flat.
Second, how quick all of the possible suspects told Pip the truth, when they lied to the police or omitted information. I found it quite unbelievable and a little bit ilogic. Also, Mr. Ward confessed really quick and it felt dry... I don't quite know how to explain it, but I was expecting more. Becca Bell also confessed really quick, and spilled her secrets out as she were talking about the weather, which also felt a little bit bitter.
aND THE FINAL STRAW: BARNEY. NO. NO. NO. NOT MY BABY BARNEY. HE WAS AN ANGEL AND I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HIM WITH LOVE. LEANNE CRYING OVER THE CHRISTMAS' VIDEO OF BARNEY GIVING EVERYONE A SHOE BROKE ME DOWN. I WILL NEVER FORGIVE THIS!!!
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ End of the spoiler section⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
In summary, I really liked this book, was a quick reading and many plots got me hanging of the cliff. This is a "you must read" book.
My mood during the last chapters:
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You know the feeling when you literally sit in the car outside your office and race to finish your book? That's what happened to me this morning with Holly Jackson's excellent debut novel, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.
“...I don’t know who I am when I’m not working, when I’m not focused on or totally consumed by a task. Who am I between the projects and the assignments, when there’s nothing to do? I haven’t found her yet as it scares me. Maybe that’s why, for my senior capstone project this year, I decided to solve a murder.”
The murder of Andie Bell rocked Pippa Fitz-Amobi’s small New England town five years ago. She was pretty and popular, and when her boyfriend killed himself shortly after she disappeared, the case quickly closed, even if Andie’s body was never found.
But for some reason, Pippa has always felt some nagging sense that the case wasn’t as cut and dry as it appeared. She thinks everyone was too quick to accuse Sal, Andie’s boyfriend, of the crime, even if all signs pointed to his guilt.
When she decides to focus on the case as her senior capstone project, she doesn’t have any expectations of turning up new evidence, finding new suspects, or stirring up chaos, but all of those things occur. She also puts herself and her family in danger, especially as she stumbles closer and closer to answers to some unresolved questions.
How far should she go? She can’t seem to stop, especially because she wants to prove Sal’s innocence to his younger brother, Ravi, who becomes her partner of sorts. But just what is the truth? And who will it hurt if it is revealed?
This book was so good!! Even though I predicted some stuff (and as per usual, treated everyone like a potential suspect), I couldn’t get enough of this mystery. I really liked Pippa and Ravi, and I was completely hooked on the story, which had lots of twists and turns. Plus, how cool of a name is Pippa Fitz-Amobi?
Trigger warning: some implied animal cruelty, although it happens outside the narrative.
So glad this one was worth the hype, and can't wait to see what Jackson does next.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at
https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at
https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at
itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at
https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/. -
no words.
fucking 5 out of 5.
id sell my soul to read it for the first time again. -
$2.99 kindle US today 6/6/20
4.5
The audio of this was awesome! I have added the hardback to my wishlist and the audible version.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I didn’t like the dog killing (of course) so I’m taking off half a star for that because it was just a mention and nothing graphic or effed up. Well, I think any animal killing in books or movies is effed up but I digress! Anyhoo.....
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 -
4.5 ⭐️ THIS WAS SOOOOO GOOOOD!!!!!
it was such a unique mystery w so much depth. pippa is one of my favorite characters, she was amazing. the story was so intriguing, i literally couldn’t stop. it also wasn’t as obvious of an ending as i thought when i first started. it’s been a while since i’ve been so invested in a book and idk how the next two will go, but count me in!
“half less of a bad thing meant there was room for half good.”
