I didn't get to this book in time for release. I decided not to buy this book after reading a few reviews and realizing this book might not be something I'd enjoy.

'Such a Good Girl' is a thrilling YA contemporary that will have readers on the edge of their seats and devouring each page. This is going to be kind of hard for me to review because I don't want to give anything away - and that's tricky for this book. The description gives you a little taste of Riley - the main character - but doesn't really tell you much about the plot. It's twisty, dark, and full of suspense. I got sucked in immediately and couldn't quit reading until I finished - which only took a few hours. I honestly haven't been drawn into a book that way in awhile, so that's how I know it's a good one.

Riley is a fascinating and unique main character. She's a "good girl" - she has been as perfect as possible from a young age. She gets perfect grades, is valedictorian, captain of the cheer squad, tries to be humble and nice to everyone, doesn't drink or even attend parties, does tons of charity work and fundraisers - including running several - and so on. She must be perfect and won't accept anything else. She has flaws - everyone does - and one of these (in her mind) is crushing on her French teacher. I'm not going into detail here because I don't want to ruin anything, but let's just say we get to know Riley a lot better and we see some of her other qualities that she doesn't show anyone else. She was incredibly realistic and easy for me to connect with right away. Mostly because she reminded me of myself, especially when I was in high school. I could identify with a lot of her "rules" that she has for herself. Perfect grades. No partying. Always be seen in a good light. Make your parents proud. Be a star student. And so on. I got her and fell into her thoughts easily. Didn't quite prepare me for what was to come though - that's all I'm saying about that. One other mention is about the writing style. The book is done in the first person, from Riley's perspective. I'm SO happy the author chose to write it this way! It was the perfect fit for the story and it definitely wouldn't have had the same impact if written in another way. Riley's point of view was exactly how this should've been told - and it allowed the story to flow effortlessly but with tons of suspense and tension building.

The plot was awesome. I didn't know what to expect going in because of the vague-ish description, but I wanted to give it a shot. Needless to say, I lost myself in the story and I'm still kind of reeling (and somewhat confused) about what happens. There are lots of twists you don't see coming at all. I thought I knew where things were going and what was really happening, but I was always wrong. I love thrillers and it takes a lot to impress me after reading so many, but this managed to do it. Towards the end, I had figured most of it out, but I couldn't stop reading. The story just kept getting more suspenseful and I just had to see what was going to happen next. That's about all I can say without spoilers, but I loved it. I very highly recommend this one for fans of YA thrillers, mysteries, suspense, and contemporary!

(Warning: This review contains discussions of child abuse, domestic abuse, and sexual abuse, amongst other such heavy topics.)


Title: Such a Good Girl


Author: Amanda K Morgan

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Crime*, Thriller* (*ish)

Release Date: 20th June 2017












A few starting notes:





I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley and The Review Chain.

NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

The Review Chain is an initiative to connect reviewers with authors seeking reviews.
















OK, I signed up to review this because The Review Chain needed more reviewers for it.

I was wary of it to begin with – hands up, total honesty! - because of the premise of a teenage girl dating her high-school French teacher.

I don't think anyone can blame me for being a little concerned!





















There are things I need to set out straight away:

- This is NOT what a healthy relationship looks like.


- 17, while not underage in the UK, is underage in a lot of states in America; this book is set in 'Hartsville' and I can't find the state, but the author lives in Tennessee - where there is a Hartsville. The age of consent in Tennessee is 18.


- A relationship between an overage person and an underage person is abuse. THE FAULT IS NOT WITH THE UNDERAGE PERSON.


- A relationship between a teacher and an overage student, while not illegal, would still be a) creepy, and b) professional misconduct (I say this in case this book is set in a non-Tennessee Hartsville.)


- Groping without consent is sexual assault.


- Physical restraint – unless for self-defence or to stop the person from hurting themselves – is physical ABUSE.


- Agreeing to meet your teacher, alone, in isolated areas and/or their home is NOT SAFE.


- Emotional manipulation is also abuse.




I know this is a lot of heavy stuff, but it's damned important to get these things established.








Premise:



Riley Elizabeth Stone is absolutely perfect. In every way.

She would never be involved in an affair with her high school French teacher. Ever.

After all, she's such a good girl.

...Right?








Best bits:




This book is immensely readable.

There's some – possibly slightly morbid – part of you that just wants to know how the whole thing pans out.











The different levels of Riley's life – the perfect surface vs the secrets underneath – are compelling and interesting, even before she begins her relationship with Mr Belrose.

There's this intriguing contrast between the image that Riley gives to everyone of the perfect 'it-girl' who doesn't party, and the problems beneath the surface.











I do like that this book makes you think – like, what is going on here, really?

Is Mr Belrose stringing Riley along, or does he really have feelings for her (no matter how creepy that is)?

Does he have other girlfriends at the school? Is his relationship with his wife as bad as it seems?

Is there more to this whole thing than we're seeing on the surface?

This book is smart and absorbing, and if you love twists and trying to figure things out, then it'll appeal to you.












There are also people of colour (PoC) side-characters.

In the case of Neta (who is Latina,) in particular, this seems well done.

If anyone (especially PoC reviewers) has a more in-depth exploration of this aspect of the book, please let me know, I'd love to link!




Not so great bits:





PLEASE pay attention to this!

Potentially distressing content in this book includes the following:

- paedophilia/abuse by authority figure (17-year-old girl & her teacher)

- child/victim grooming

- sexual abuse

- physical abuse (from romantic partner)

- sexual assault/groping

- stalking

- emotional abuse

- drinking problem

- emotionally distant and neglectful parenting

- missing people

- murder

- possessive behaviour




There's also underage drinking (which is bad *nods wisely*.)

And there might be the odd swear word tucked in there somewheres – but honestly, if that's what's bothering you about this book then you probably need to reassess your priorities.
















If this book was going to frame this 'relationship' (abuse) in this way then it really should've added an author's note to explain the multitude of things that ARE NOT OK.

From a twisty-turny brain-teaser point of view, I can see why this has been done like this.

But this is a young adult book.

As an adult*, I'm always conscious of the fact that a lot of teens read this blog.

While I don't want to underestimate you guys in any way – I know you're not stupid – I also have a responsibility to... well... act responsible.**

Because if I don't? One of you guys might get hurt real bad. And I would never forgive myself.



*Yeah – I was surprised too.
**I know, boring, but what can you do?
















Being responsible sometimes means pointing out the obvious.

Because if there's even a chancethat someone might find this teacher-student set-up exciting or romantic (*is sick in corner*) then I want to be sure that I've provided all the information.

And the author hasn't.

This book – as far as I know, bearing in mind I had an eARC (a review copy) and there may be differences in the commercially available versions – has no author's note.
















I probably don't need to detail the amount of ways the central 'relationship' in this book is wrong – just, if you do, ultimately, decide to read this book, please keep in mind all of the points I made in the first section of this review.

There's a lot of sick and messed-up stuff in this book.

And I get that it's not meant to be anything else – but I still think it needs a comprehensive author's note. Really badly.














I'm also unhappy about several parts which seem to apportion responsibility – or even blame – for the affair, onto Riley herself.

AN AFFAIR (ABUSE) BETWEEN A TEACHER AND A STUDENT IS NEVER THE STUDENT'S FAULT.














My last big issue (if the abuse and victim-blaming weren't enough for you,) is with ableism.

This book uses 'crazy,' 'nuts,' etc. instead of... I don't know, 'possessive,' 'inappropriate,' or 'downright creepy.'

While I'm used to words/slurs describing mental health problems being used casually, and it doesn't tend to bother me that much, I know that it bothers a lot of people.

And honestly? In this book it's completely unnecessary, and just reads as a bit lazy.

There's also instances which refer to Riley seeing a psychologist and being in therapy which, ultimately, are designed to discredit her and make her seem less reliable.

That's not ok.




Verdict:



Yes, it's smart and readable.

BUT – It needs an author's note. BADLY.

Without one, I really can't in good conscience recommend it.

Such A Good Girl is a YA contemporary thriller about a girl named Riley. Riley lives a seemingly perfect life and everyone loves her. However, her crush on her French teacher might change everything.
This was a very interesting read. The story kept me engaged and wanting to continue reading the entire time. In fact, I read it in only one sitting. It started out feeling like other YA contemporary stories, about a girl and her friends in high school. But as I kept reading I could feel there was more to the story that was brewing beneath the surface. There were lots of twists and the ending left me with my jaw on the floor.
The blurb calls this book Pretty Little Liars meets Luckiest Girl Alive. While I have never read Luckiest Girl Alive, I can absolutely see the Pretty Little Liars similarities. Overall I thought this was a fun read. I enjoyed the little facts about Riley between chapters and the writing made it completely un-put-downable.

I can't say that I loved this book. I was highly suspicious of Riley off the bat. Between her perfect facade and her inferiority complex, I just couldn't relate to her. Not only was she "the best" at everything, she's effortlessly the best, not killing herself to attain perfection. She's dismissive of other's achievements, quits anything where she doesn't win. Any attention pointed at someone else wounds her. Her crush on a teacher doesn't feel like harmless infatuation. She goes from thinking he's cute and recalling their shared history to certain that he shares her feelings. Sometimes I can only take so much psychological manipulation. While its an interesting look at our society perception of the "good girl" I just wasn't connecting with it.

Riley is perfect – awesome grades, stellar resume, great friends. She’s one of the It Girls at school and could have any boy she wants. But she likes the attractive French teacher, not one of the silly teens at her high school. Too bad he’s off limits. She is, after all, a good girl.

Wow. There’s not much I can say about this book without giving everything away. I’m still blown away by the ending. It throws everything off to where I’m wondering what actually happened. Riley is one seriously unreliable narrator. And here I thought she was just seriously uppity and proud. Should have seen that coming.

Then again, some of the foreshadowing that would make the ending make more sense was … missing. I put the story together with clues that were never fully fleshed out. The how’s and when’s don’t completely add up. But then, the narrator is unreliable. The whole book was told from her perspective, which means what we read is diluted by her perception of how things occurred. Is this her explanation of events? Or what she really believes happened? Or … ?

On the one hand, Such a Good Girl is beautifully crafted to keep readers intrigued and guessing. It reminds me of Edgar Allen Poe’s works and left me seriously creeped out. So many unanswered questions that lead me to create conjectures, like a great piece of literature should. On the other hand, there are way too many holes. I still don’t know what actually happened. The book has potential, but there needs to be a little something more in order to make me satisfied with it.

On a completely different note, I was a bit uncomfortable with the romantic relationship between the married teacher and the underage student. I don’t like reading books in which the characters go against the regular ethical codes. I couldn’t cheer on the romance at the beginning, and certainly not at the end. The intrigue and mystery made up for it, but it still isn’t going to make it to my favorites list.

I did enjoy Such a Good Girl. It kept me reading to the end and surprised me. I recommend it to fans of Pretty Little Liars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley. I received no compensation. And all my thoughts are entirely my own.

This book is an interesting look into the life of Riley Stone, the perfect, do gooder, it girl at her high school. Riley has it all – the perfect grades, the perfect friends, the popularity at her high school campus. She’s got it all and isn’t afraid to flaunt it. Though she’s egotistic about what she is and has, she’s not mean to others and I like that. I also like how she focuses more on school than boys. It’s a nice change from it girls who only want to have perfect boyfriends and who’re always bitching.

But, she wasn’t a reliable narrator. I LOVE THAT. I haven’t read many stories with unreliable narrators so it was a welcome change. I was always wondering what was the truth and what wasn’t and it was glorious!

But, that is all that I liked about it. I hate how Riley just comes off as too perfect in the narrative. I mean, I know she thinks she’s perfect, but maybe she acknowledges any issues she may have had? It seems just too improbable. I mean, how is she the most self assured person in the world? I have never met anyone like her, ever. So, I couldn’t relate to her at all. Plus, she was so annoying at times, all self righteous and behaving like she’s so much better than those around her. I hated that about her.

Plus, everything just wrapped up a little too neatly for my liking. How is it that everything went perfectly for Riley, even though it wasn’t a really well thought out plan or anything? Seems like she was just a little too lucky that she wasn’t caught in the repercussions of any of her actions. I get that that’s the point of the story but it irked me so much!

And, then, I didn’t like how nothing was explained in the story. We’re left guessing as to what exactly happened in the end and I know that that’s the way the author wanted it to be, for us to be guessing about it like the rest of the people in the story, but it didn’t give me the closure that I wanted. So, I don’t like that. When, I read, I want to know the entire story. I do not want to guess about what might have happened. If the book can’t give me this well deserved closure, what is the point of reading the story anyway?

All in all, it was an okay read and there were good things and bad things, but overall, it was a nice story that I wasn’t really able to put down till I’d read it even though I didn’t really relate to anyone in the story.

Being a huge fan of Pretty Little Liars of course I had to check a book that is being compared to it.

I can see why they are making the comparison because there is a very similar level in how the author created a storyline and characters that are so provoking the answers will leave you feeling dumbfounded for a bit as everything sinks in.

Morgan seems pretty adept at writing a decent novel with enough suspense to get you hooked and keep you there til the end. She knows how to throw in enough twists and when to keep the pace on point and your attention from wandering.

The characters are exactly what you’d expect for this age level so it would’ve been nice to have a more balanced view than just following the main character after all that is what makes stuff like PLL so awesome is you get to see how things work from various points of view.

SUCH A GOOD GIRL will leave readers on the edge of their seats. Perfect blend of mystery and intrigue. Well written and fast paced story will draw readers in from the very first page. Riley Stone is perfect and she will draw you in and leave you reeling. Can anyone be SUCH A GOOD GIRL as Riley or is it all an illusion? Readers won't know what hit them when they step into her world. Lots of twists and turns make up this incredible tale. Definitely a must read!

Such a Good Girl is an overall good book that is sure to be a hit with many readers. While I felt like some the conversations and inner dialogue were a bit juvenile for my taste, the overall premise and story was great. Based on this one, I would be highly interested to see what the author comes up with next.

I cannot read the file sent as it cannot be downloaded to my kindle. However, I was given a kindle copy in Edelweiss so my review will be posted there once I have finished the book. Thank you!