Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of Throwaway Girls by Andrea Contos. I have very mixed feelings on this book. I enjoyed the story line and the main character, Caroline, is a realistic flawed teen heroine. I admire her determination and tenacity in the face of numerous problems. I will always stan a strong lgbtq character. The supporting characters are fine, the parental figures are atrocious.

Over all book was a slow burn, it really took a while for things to get moving, and once they did I can’t honestly say I was all that invested. The alternating chapters were mildly confusing and then the ending just seemed a little too pat.

Throwaway Girls follows Caroline, a bi teen who is desperate to leave her town and get away from her parents who previously sent her to a conversion camp. Caroline’s best friend goes missing and due to Caroline’s previous experience with finding a body at the edge of the lake and the police failing to do much about it, she decided that it is up to her and her alone to find her missing best friend. This book was great! I REALLY liked it. It had everything for me; likeable mc, gripping mystery, unforeseeable plot twists, gay girls. It even had that unexplainable ~eerie-ness~ that every thriller/mystery should have, and the writing was beautiful. I think this book has a really important message surrounding the hierarchy of who society deem worthy of searching for when someone goes missing. I also love that this is a great mystery YA that just has casual LGBTQ rep thrown in. It’s amazing to read stories in this genre that also have rep. The only thing stopping me from giving a 5 star rating is the fact that I had to suspend my disbelief for some elements of the story. For most people I don’t think that will be a problem, and I still thoroughly enjoyed it overall. HThrowaway Girls is sure to keep you guessing until the very end. I definitely recommend anyone who likes a good YA thriller to check this out and I will be purchasing the book when it is released on September 1st!

The YA thriller 'Throwaway Girls' provides a fast-paced plot and interesting characters. I was intrigued by the main character, Caroline, as well as her friendships and relationships at her tony prep school, St. Francis. It's easy to become absorbed in the world in West Virginia Ms. Contos builds for her novel. Thanks to her strong writing, a wide range of settings come across vividly through the pages.
In my opinion, the beginning of this book was a little slow. Also, there were parts of the story that seemed to jump around rather suddenly, However, I'm glad I kept reading. In fact, by the end, I could barely turn the pages fast enough.
Overall, a very engaging novel. I would read titles from this author in the future.

While the writing is good and the plot fairly engaging in the first half, near the middle I began to just lose interest. I don't like Caroline as a narrator, and the "social commentary" seems to ring hollow to me, more performative than actually bringing attention to the issues serving as plot devices. Once again I'm really annoyed by the portrayal of LGBT people (both by some aspects of Caroline's bisexuality but by how, once again, we're tortured, not really given a chance to just exist without our presence in a narrative being flanked by pain and hurt). I'm just feeling really disappointed.

Throwaway Girls
Author: Andrea Contos
Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ /5
Reviewed: Maya

-Trigger warning within book-
I love a good mystery thriller, and this did not disappoint! Girls have been going missing for years and many are not searched for or found, but when this happens to Caroline’s close friend, Madison, she feels the need to find her friend, especially since Willa, her girlfriend dumped her. Told from Caroline’s POV, I really liked the way the readers could see her thoughts and memories. Although it could have been because of my Kindle’s formatting, I struggled to understand why chapters were interrupted and I found this to be confusing. The plot was amazing and I was always frantically reading, wanting to know what happens next. The only reason this was not a 5-star read was because I felt there were not enough of Caroline and Madison’s friendship and literally every single one of Caroline’s “flashbacks” and memories revolved around Willa. I did not get to know Madison’s character well at all, and that was really needed for the book. Apart from those issues, this debut book was really great and I will definitely be rereading it in the future. I highly recommend Throwaway Girls for all mystery and thriller fans, and especially YA fans.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Kids Can Press and of course Andrea Contos for this free eBook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be posted on Goodreads (thebibliophilebuddies) and Bookstagram (https://www.instagram.com/thebibliophilebuddies/) on or the day after the 18th of August (two weeks before publication).

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Throwaway Girls was good book, don't get me wrong. It just sucks that the first half of the book bore me to pieces. It just took way too long for things to get me interested which just disappoints me to no end. When I got the email that I was approved for this ARC I was so freaking excited.

First off, I love mysteries and it has been a while since I dove into a good one. Second, after meeting Caroline, I fell in love with her character. She was just a very realistic teenager in this book with every day real world problems. Well, other than the fact that's she kind of like Nancy Drew and solving the disappearance of her friend.

I loved getting to see the little glimpses of romance throughout this book. Especially when it came to Caroline's POV. However, I will admit that I was sometimes confuse as to who's pov I was reading. Caroline or Willa's. It took me a page, or two, to figure it out but it would've been a lot easier to let me know at the beginning of the chapter - ya know?

Other than that, the mystery kept me on my toes. I honestly had no idea who was behind it all and when it was all revealed.. my mind was blown. Long story short, Caroline might've been self-absorbed but she definitely deserves better friends. Stick with Aubrey kid.

I INHALED Throwaway Girls and am giving it my first 5-star review of 2020. Caroline is my favorite kind of protagonist. Her tenacity and dedication drive this novel and give it the perfect sense of urgency and mystery. I also loved the inclusion of the second POV. I seriously went back and forth multiple times on who I thought the second POV belonged to and my goodness my heart was just constantly aching for that girl. Contos does an excellent job exposing the idea of the "throwaway" girls whose cases often go un-investigated because these girls are deemed "high risk" because of their home environments, or for being POC or "white trash". This idea is juxtaposed against Madison's high profile missing person case in a way that feels authentic, while still sensitive.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a binge-able mystery that will absolutely tug on your heart. While the atrocities committed and investigated in Throwaway Girls are absolutely heinous, I do appreciate how Contos doesn't go into explicit details for shock factor. The reader is able to get that gut sinking emotion at the acts without having to actually read them in gory detail.

The mystery here kept me guessing and hoping until the very last page. The ending felt well earned and authentic, even if tragic and sad. Full of twists and turns, it was impossible to predict every reveal, yet each felt earned.

I cannot wait to have a physical copy of this book to read and re-read. Adding Andrea Contos to my list of authors on auto-buy.

*Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a copy for my honest opinion*

Throwaway Girls is a first rate debut thriller! It's not fast paced, but the story flowed flawlessly. This story touches on a couple important issues, and that makes it heartbreaking at times. Overall, it was a good book, and I will definitely read more from Andrea Contos

**Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to review an E-ARC of this novel!**

Holy Moly! I sped through this book. Overall, it was very gripping, twisted, & mysterious...it kept me guessing all the way up to the reveal. I was SO EXCITED to have the opportunity to review this novel because I definitely put it on my TBR for its release date as soon as I discovered it on Goodreads. Please find my thoughts below...along with some spoilers (beware). :)
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Things I Liked:
-The advocacy! I love that this novel shines a light on the stories that are so often overlooked & calls out the people who use their status to manipulate & hurt others...as well as calling out the people who look the other way or allow it to happen.
-The connections between Caroline & her chosen family (Marcel, Aubrey, Jake [at least for most of the novel], Madison [prior to the issues & disappearance], & Willa). It shows that sometimes family isn't what you're born into, but rather what you make it & the people who are there to support & love you for who you are. Marcel is a great representation of how stereotypes are not always true & those we least expect can often times offer us the support & love we might be looking for. Go Marcel! And on that thought...so is the Mountain Man (he really came through when it mattered the most).
-The honesty with which the author handles the tough material & subject matter (LGBTQ+ discrimination, conversion attempts, kidnapping, death, betrayal, grief, etc.). I think this was vital when it comes to depicting how important it is to have the potentially uncomfortable & very difficult discussions necessary in order to change unjust policies & procedures that end up shielding the guilty & putting the innocent at even more risk.
-The way the reader jumps right into the story...hitting the ground running. I liked this aspect & the writing style because I felt like I was immersed into the story immediately & it helped hook me right from the start.

Things that Didn't Quite Sit Right With Me:
-At times the plot felt a little confusing...it was hard for me to keep all the stories straight with timeframe changes that weren't always clear to me & name changes that I didn't always know about (but this also added even more mystery as I was not always sure exactly who the different parts were referring to & kept me guessing about if the details I knew fit with certain characters...almost like I was doing my own investigative work).
-I wish we knew more about the status of Jake & Caroline's relationship after all the stuff with his dad went down.
-Caroline's parents were just horrible in my opinion...as well as Willa's mother...& Jake's dad...ugh. The parents in this story could definitely use some parenting classes.

Overall, I gave this read 4 stars. I think it would be a great fit for lovers of YA, mysteries, thrillers, & those who are interested in advocacy efforts for the LGBTQ+ community, missing children, or unrepresented populations in justice system.

I rate Throwaway Girls a 4.5 as I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting because I had to know what happens to Madison. The book had the right amount of suspense, and the author did a great job of giving out clues the entire time, but also making you suspicious of everyone. At one point I had guessed who it could be but then more information was given and I changed my mind, so I wasn't entirely sure until 90% through the book. I love books where you're learning information along with the character, so I didn't know who was involved until Caroline did. Caroline was an amazing protagonist as I felt her struggles and emotions were real ranging from her anxiety to her fixation on her failed relationship. Her being a flawed, imperfect character made her more likable and also more interesting because you never knew what she was going to do next. Her fierceness in fighting for the people she loves or feels indebted to propels this story to its climax. I really enjoyed the romantic tidbits we would get throughout the book between Caroline and several people helping her, but was also happy that the author did not make them the focus of Caroline's story.

The only thing that confused me was the sections at the end of some chapters where the POV changed, and I didn't realize until halfway through that it was a different POV. I think it would have been easier to follow if they had been their own chapters, but it also could have just been me missing the mention of alternating POV in the synopsis. Some of the writing from the alternate POV was beautiful and captivating, and I think they really completed the story.

Overall, I recommend this book as it was an intriguing thriller that keeps you on your toes and calls into question the issues that we ignore as we go about our daily lives. It felt like a fitting tribute to all the girls that are missing. This isn't a book where you're left completely happy. It's one that sits with you because it's real and thought-provoking. It's slightly hopeful but also not meant to coddle you as the aftermath is a reality for the people who have been through these situations. The social message throughout was the strongest feature of this book and made all the work Caroline did seem necessary and important.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing with me with the free ARC.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Andrea Contos' Throwaway Girls is a stunning mystery thriller surrounding one missing girl who everyone wants home, and the other missing girls who were forgotten. The reader follows Caroline, a queer teenager who is just trying to make it to her eighteenth birthday and graduation so that she can live her truth away from her stifling family. When her girlfriend leaves and her best friend, Madison, goes missing, Caroline knows finding Madison is up to her.

This novel kept dropping clues and twists and reveals. The pacing was beautifully done, and I was pleased with how the author developed the story being told. I would hate to accidentally give anything away, as I'm of the opinion that thrillers should mostly be gone into blind.

I was more impressed by this thriller than any other I have read in recent memory, and I look forward to future works from Contos.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kids Can press for providing me with this book.
Actual rating : 3,5
"I'd spent so many years surviving, I'd forgotten to dream"
Don't get me wrong I liked it. However, thrillers are one of my favorites and I love the feeling they can provide me when I can't stop reading and I'm on the edge of my seat and I lacked that. It is nicely done (even if I was sometime confused) and entertaining but nothing shocked me.
The messages conveyed are very important : how the society decide what girls they should look for or not, I also found message of friendship and self-acceptance ! And I loved Caroline, she is bold, fierce, flawed and relatable in her own way.

"Everything started with the body at the edge of the lake. I know that now"
Throwaway Girls is a debut novel by Andrea Contos coming out in September 2020. The story follows a teenager named Caroline who's best friend has been kidnapped. Nobody has answers as to where she went or who took her so Caroline decides to find out the answers for herself.

This was a solidly written debut novel. I will admit that the plot felt very slow for the first third of the book. It picks up around the half way point which is where we start learning things about the mystery. I really enjoyed how the author made us think about how each clue fit into the overarching story. I also enjoyed how the book shines light on social inequality and how economic disparity plays a part in high crime rates that go unchallenged by the public. It really makes you take a step back and question why people care more about crimes that happen to people with money or high social standing over crimes that happen to people of colour or in impoverish neighbourhoods.

The one major thing that I disliked about the novel is the main character. This is disappointing to me since this wasn't a novel where you are supposed to dislike the main character. Caroline is very angsty and self absorbed in her problems. Which arguably is true for a lot of teenagers both in real life and in fiction. So in that aspect Andrea Contros really nails the teenager mindset. However, I would have liked to spend less time reading about how sad she is over her break up and how she feels about her parents. The first time gives context and you feel insight into who Caroline is as a person. After the second or third time of bringing it up it almost feels melodramatic. Which again is a teenage trait so maybe that was the point. I personally would have liked a little bit less focus on those things and more focus on the mystery itself. I wanted to see Caroline as a person who is described as "an ocean" or as "someone who can move mountains" by the other characters in the book. I wish those traits took more of a front row seat ahead of the angst.

I did appreciate the LGBTQ+ representation in this novel. Especially since it can from a female prospective which I personally think is lacking in all genres but especially in young adult. I liked that it wasn't sensationalize like it often is in film or literature. It's just two people who are in love and I appreciate that.

All in all I enjoyed what this novel tried to do. I liked the commentary and representation. I also enjoyed the mystery and finding out what happened. It's a solidly written novel and outside of my personal feelings on the main character I can see how other people could really enjoy it. I give it 3.5 stars with a recommendation to check it out for yourself. I look forward to reading whatever else Andrea Contos writes in the future.

***Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Kids Can Press for providing me with an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review ***

Now that a kindle file format has been added, I was able to download it. I’m excited about getting to read it since I wasn’t able to due to the other file format. I’ll leave updated feedback soon when I’m able to read and finish it. Thank you very, very much for adding the kindle download,

Throwaway Girls by Andrea Contos is one of my favorite kinds of thrillers. Sure, thrillers that coast giving small details and end in a huge amount of excitement are great, but this one was better. This is one of those thrillers that starts out exciting and builds until the end. It's the kind that had me up reading way later than I should have been.

It's about a girl named Caroline who is in her last three months of high school. She craves the day when she will graduate and be able to run away from her current life. Her world is rocked when her friend Madison disappears. When the police seem to be no help, Caroline takes it upon herself to find her friend. What she finds is that Madison is not the only girl to disappear. To make matters worse, finding her friend is hard when everyone seems to have secrets to hid. Even her own.

This book isn't just a great thriller though. Without diving into spoilers I want to say this book does bring up some topics you may not hear about too often or may not realize are current issues. I love that the author really brings some truth to light about things that I'm ashamed to say I never thought about.

This is a very well-written thriller that will leave you thinking about all night, even if you have already finished it. I highly recommend it.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book for my honest review. Unfortunately I am having the same issues as other reviewers have stated I am unable to download to my Kindle or as a PDF if or when the issue fixed I will be happy to edit this post.

I am now able to read it on my Kindle so I will read and edit my review.
Thank you

Honestly it was a good book! But unfortunately it wasn’t too much of a thriller or a suspense novel like I would’ve liked it to be. Still a nice novel

Wouldn't download so can't give a review just like most of the other reviewers have stated. Would love to read the book so if the issue gets fixed would try to download again.

Cannot read I’m afraid. Downloaded but pages are not showing up. Would be willing to read if you can send me a working file or a kindle version?

just downloaded it to read and i can't read it , all I'm getting is white plan pages and I even downloaded it to the app i always use for this kind of files.