An interesting read that brings on the twists thick and fast! Just my kind of unbelievable and unhinged story!

4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Audio | Christy Ottaviano Books for the audio ARC.

So, I have mixed feeling about Dead End Girls. The whole concept is really interesting and I love the whole thrilling parts of the story. There are just certain parts of the story that are a little bit weird to me and kind of throw me off.

I struggled with this one. While the initial set up was solid, it follows flawed logic from pretty early on. And once it starts down that path it becomes increasingly unrealistic. The characters are compelling but it's hard to follow them through the ridiculous loops of the plot.

Dead End Girls is a story following Maude, who says she'll be dead in a week. Well, not actually dead, but she'll have everyone think that and she'll start over somewhere new. She's been crafting her plan for a long time, and there's no room for error. That is until her step-cousin Frankie founds out what she's planning. But Frankie doesn't want to tell on Maude, Frankie wants to go with Maude. The two of them embark on an uncertain journey, with many things standing in their way. The question is how far they're willing to go and how far you can actually run from yourself.

So, to start this off, I will say that this is a book for which you will need to accept some serious level of unrealistic occurrences to enjoy it. This is a thriller, it is constantly action heavy and we follow Maude's absolutely unhinged plans to get away and/or fake her death. Maude has done some serious planning for this, and it is kind of a situation where I suppose it's not technically impossible but I would bet that thing would not play out like this in real life. It feels highly unlikely that all the stars would align for everything to happen this way. Of course, their journey has its ups and downs (many downs, to be honest) but it just seems so unrealistic. That being said, you don't read everything expecting it to be exact replica of real life, but it's something to be noted.

Also, while being completely sympathetic to Maude and her life, it does feel like teen melodrama is pushing her to do this, rather than necessity. She is 17, meaning she is very close to just being able to leave and go wherever she pleases. I understand that she started planning for this when she was 15 when your brain uses even less logic than at 17 but to me, it seems like a smarter thing would be to just take all the money she's saved up, and just leave. I also do understand that she wants to metaphorically 'kill' the person she was, if 'Maude' is dead to everyone then she is truly free. But you can still reimagine yourself, change your name, and start over without doing this convoluted (illegal) heist. I suppose it does work out for them, given that Frankie actually needed to go, for their own safety, so there's that.

Plot-wise, as I said, this is a hard-to-believe novel. On the other hand, the suspense is there, and the atmosphere is just right. With the dose of desperation, determination, and urgency that this story has it was really a fast, enjoyable read. There were definitely some moments, some mistakes the characters made that were unnecessary, something that thinking for five minutes would prevent, but if we consider the age of the characters, I suppose it fits. Character-wise, I think this book is well-done. I liked both of the characters we follow, even if they were not particularly likable at all times (Maude especially). I think the book does a great job depicting the feeling of being a teen (especially a closeted queer teen), teenage angst, the feeling of isolation, and loneliness. The family dynamics were also really interesting, and I enjoyed Frankie's chapters, especially because we learned more about their family.

The ending was pretty rushed, the last few chapters gloss over many things and it all works out in the end. This is probably when you will have to suspend your disbelief the most (or at least, I had to). The many obstacles seemingly vanish and there's nothing standing in the way of the characters and their goals. So it did, in a way, feel like we were missing something and it felt like there were too many unfinished plot points.
(Spoilers ahead)
So, the romance. There is a relationship forming between Maude and Frankie, and I was slightly unsure of how I'm feeling. They're obviously not blood relatives, but it was kind of unspecified how much they were socialized as family members. I generally am really iffy on any kind of relatives getting together, and even if they're not blood relatives, if they were brought up as a family it seems weird to me. Now, I am not saying this is 'wrong', I just wish it was more specified on what their relationship looked like before all this. Because at some points it seemed like they were only very vaguely acquainted with each other, and at some, it seemed like they knew each other pretty well.
If we go on the assumption they weren't socialized as family, I think they actually work pretty well together, and I enjoyed the scenes they had. (Maude obviously never considers any of her stepfather's family as her actual family, I just wish they hadn't introduced them as step-cousins, that's what set me off thinking about specifics)

All in all, this was a quick, enjoyable book. I would recommend it if you're looking for something to keep your attention and if you're not really bothered by the 'believability' of plots!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Two girls (step-cousins) decide to fake their deaths to escape their lives and fall in love along the way. Although, this book was highly-improbable, it was an interesting story and fast-paced.

I thoroughly enjoyed She’s Too Pretty to Burn, so I had really high expectations of Dead End Girls. That being said, this book just didn’t hit the way that I wanted it to.

What Heard does well in this book is really capture the essence of two desperate teen girls who will do anything to get out of their current situation all while being messy and making questionable decisions along the way.

As far as the characters go, I definitely preferred the chapters told from Frankie’s POV rather than Maude’s. I feel like Frankie’s inner monologue and struggles from not being accepted because of her nonconformity to gender roles as well as being queer is something that a lot of readers will gravitate towards; especially the scenes that detail her bigoted grandmother who funds her private education. I don’t really have much to say about Maude because I just felt like so much was missing from her personality, but I can’t really put my finger on why.

And I’ll be honest, the romance between Maude and Frankie knowing that they are step-cousins who were raised within the same family sphere just felt gross to me. There wasn’t an acknowledgment that there relationship was at all taboo, and I just couldn’t get over that fact.

Overall, I’m just sort of meh with this one.

Scammer stories are on the rise because scammers are fun. Not in real life, not literally, but just considering the creativity behind some of these schemes… it’s extremely rewarding to read up on them somehow. Mainly to feel somehow, in theory, prepared against them. And if you want to get behind the scammer mindset without actually supporting any sick individual out to steal someone else’s money, may I suggest that you simply read this YA novel about identity fraud? It’s inventive, sapphic, fast-paced reading that didn’t always make sense, but was entertaining through and through.

Anyone who’s read up (or listened to podcasts) on cases of people faking their own deaths knows that it’s a) not easy and b) not usually successful. Following Maude through her meticulous planning and the execution of her scheme takes some suspense of disbelief, but people have done worse things before, and in real life. The novel is going to give you some degree of anxiety over problems that are not your own, so even if it’s not that realistic, it serves as a nice distraction from adulting. Did I think a teenager could pull this off? No. Did it happen in the book? You'll have to read it and see for yourself.

This could have been longer. This also could have been shorter. But it was a perfectly enjoyable length in the end.

Don't try this at home, kids.

This is Wendy Heards best book! it was so engaging and interesting and the girls felt dynamic. There was alot happening but it didnt feel far fetched at all!

dead end girls is a super fun and quick YA thriller! I absolutely adored it and thought it's quick pace was done very well. though I didn't love the romance, I felt that the characters were both very well developed.

Maude has been planning her “death” for years - new identities, new passports, and now for the pseudocide. It's a perfect plan until her step-cousin Frankie finds out and wants in. Reasons for escaping their families differ, but coincidentally, they travel down the same path of self-discovery in a race against time, police, and the secrets their families have buried.

Wendy Heard is quickly becoming one of my favorite YA authors. I listened to Dead End Girls over two days - fast-paced, nonstop action in a race against time thriller.

But this book is so much more than a YA thriller. Maude and Frankie discover their own identity while falling in love on the run. Maude knows she’s queer but has never Identified outwardly as queer. Frankie questions the AFAB throughout the novel. Together, they slowly learn to wholely trust themselves and each other while the cops are on their tail and the dead body count starts to rise.

Natalie Naudus (Maude) and Taylor Meskiman (Frankie) nail the narration in this dual POV. Both capture the internal struggles of both Maude and Frankie but also infuse the high octane action of survival.

I loved every moment of this crazy, twisty plot! Sometimes over-the-top plots don’t work for me, but this one 100% did because this smartly written novel included both a story of coming-of-age gender identity and a slow-burn romance. For me, a winning combination! Pick up Dead End Girls. You won’t be disappointed.

While I loved both Kill Club and, more so, She’s Too Pretty To Burn, Dead End Girls didn’t grip me in quite the same way. I liked Frankie way more than I liked Maude (which, if you know me, is very strange because the analytical ones are always my favorite) - mostly because Maude’s motivations felt… flimsy. At a certain point, it worked, because by then she was in far too deep to back down, and I could get behind her decisions if not necessarily her personality (Frankie deserved better, tbh).

I really enjoyed the nuance in the main characters’ queerness. When we do finally get Frankie’s POV, it unlocks such a familiar (to me at least) stream of consciousness about sexuality, gender, and gender roles, about where and how Frankie fits into expectations (or doesn’t, at the case may be), musing about pronouns and gender expression. I particularly loved the way the people around Frankie (minus grandma, obviously) act during the last section of the book (keeping it vague because spoilers).

Though step cousins in love is weird to me. Yes I know they’re not related by blood, but the family structure is a cage they can’t escape - especially for them - and it makes it a little weird.

Its been awhile since I've posted my thoughts on a book, but I'm back to term you my thoughts on Dead End Girls by Wendy Heard which published on May 10th

Dead End Girls is told from two povs with an amazing plot that I found hard to put down. This thriller is packed full of so much, you think the plot is a little crazy but Heard was able to pull it off.

In the book we follow Maude and Frankie, who are on vacation with their families in Hawaii. Maude has a plan, that is ready to become a reality that is throughly planned out. Maude hasn't felt wanted or loved from the parents that just seemingly shuffle her back and forth for a long time. So she's meticulously plotted her death so she can live. But now there is Frankie tagging along, which means the plan needs to include two, but with such careful planning Maude doesn't have the resources to go through with the plan. Thats when the crazy events of this heart pounding read begin. Through this we are able to watch Maude and Frankie figure out their identities and who they want to be while on the run Maude is able to come out to Frankie and Frankie is able to try out nonbinary. It truly is a nail biter of a thriller unlike any other I've read before.

Maude plans her fake death and everything is all set til Frankie finds all her fake ID's. Now Maude must take Frankie along or Frankie will tell. This story was different but I liked it. I liked the girls, Maude the smart one and Frankie seems like the high stoner friend we all have. This book was so entertaining, listening to the girls lives and everything going on. I'll have to check out more of Wendy Heard's books.

For two years, Maud has been planning her own death. She has everything figured out down to the second. What she wasn’t prepared for? Frankie finding out and wanting to disappear with her. Now she needs to make her money last for two, as well as get the documentation Frankie will need. This book follows the girls on the run while also diving into why they want to disappear in the first place.

I listened to this one on audio and I really loved that version. It kept me listening and on my toes the entire book. I loved the way the relationship between Maud and Frankie started, and really loved how it evolved throughout the book. What an absolutely insane story Frankie had, I cannot imagine! This a quick listen that I could not put down!

📖 Maude has spent ages concocting the perfect getaway from her life. She’s put together a meticulous scheme to fake her own death and disappearance. She has accounted for every detail, except for getting found out by her step-cousin, Frankie. Frankie too is looking for an escape and decides to tag along. From there things go wrong and escalate quickly.


🎧 Natalie Naudus and Taylor Meskimen do a fantastic job narrating this story. They totally embody Maude and Frankie, and really capture the angest, love, and excitement for the unknown and unexpected that radiates throughout this story. To say the audiobook really holds your attention is an understatement. I definitely did not want to put it down and made it through the whole thing in about one go.

Is this Natalie Naudus' best work so far? Possibly. There was a lot of room to play with reactions and emotions, to show how diverse her range is. It is really voice acting, not just narrating. Taylor Meskimen also did a great job. Dead End Girls is an amazing audiobook experience.

The adrenaline-packed story does not let down. We're on fight or flight mode for the entire ride. Every time you think things are calming down, something even bigger happens.

The believability of it all is questionable, but the story is highly entertaining. What was supposed to be a flawless plan snowballs very quickly into a big mess that involves manslaughter, murder, and a lot of running away.

In the end, Dead End Girls is an electrifying thriller and a twisted coming of age story, with a pinch of teenage love and self acceptance.

Dead End Girls is a twisty YA thriller about family and secrets, where the truth is never what you first expect.

Dead End Girls is already one of my favourite reads of the year so far. It is also a hard book to explain. As a lover of YA thrillers and mysteries, most of the time, I’m guessing along with what happened. Who killed the victim? Where is that missing person? In Dead End Girls, we are in on the mystery. We know the crime is staged. It’s not a question of “what happened?” but “how did they pull it off?”. Which to me is possibly even more entertaining than a pure mystery alone!

But mind you, Dead End Girls still has quite a few open mysteries for us to ponder and even more high stakes. But mostly, we are on Maude and Frankie’s side, rooting for them to get away with their plan and be free of their family lives. It’s no secret that I love angry, clever girls and this book delivers heavily on that front. It’s also super queer in all the best ways with a storyline about questioning your gender, which I deeply appreciated. In general, the developing relationship between Maude and Frankie was so wonderful to watch unfold. If “Be gay, do crime” was a book, Dead End Girls would be it.

Oh, and it’s kind of unhinged and is absolutely going to make you go “what?!” on multiple occasions. I have never been this delighted by things going wrong, never been this eager to support crimes and never been so happy about character arcs.

Additionally, this book doesn’t shy away from complicated and dark family dynamics and heavier topics. However, I felt it handled them all with the appropriate care. As always, please look at the trigger warnings before deciding if this book is for you!

The audiobook is simply phenomenal. I actually learned about this book because Natalie Naudus, my personal queen of audiobook narrators, posted about it on her Instagram! Both Natalie Naudus and Taylor Meskimen do a phenomenal job bringing Maude and Frankie to life. The alternating perspectives and interspersed news reports added a lot of rich texture to the book that truly elevated the reading experience.

As always, Natalie Naudus delights with her smooth voice that seemingly knows how to conjure just about any emotion. Seriously, her performance brings the characters to life as if they’re standing right there with you!

Taylor Meskimen is a wonderful counterpart, adding perspective and nuance to the story by taking on the role of Frankie. Frankie’s story quickly turns out to be more than it appears and I loved how she managed to portray Frankie’s softer parts without losing their edge.

Overall, Dead End Girls is a phenomenal YA thriller of the “good for her!” variety and if you liked Ocean’s 8 and Gone Girl, this book is for you!

Thelma and Louise meets high school queer kids!

This story was the perfect mix of cold calculation and wrong-place-wrong-time.

I loved the LGBTQ+ representation, Natalie Nadaus's soothing voice, and our criminal mastermind Maude.

Content warnings: homophobia, transphobia.

I could not put this one down. I loved Maude and Frankie. Their slow-burn romance was so sweet. The dual point of view was perfect. We got to learn so much about Frankie in the flashbacks. All the action had me on the edge of my seat. The narration in the audio was awesome. Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for an audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a little different than I expected, but in all the right ways.

I loved the way the story takes multiple turns and goes into so much crazy detail of what happens along the way. I didn't see a lot of that coming, but it added so much to the story.

The characters were great! Maude and Frankie go though so much just to get away from families that don't give two sh*ts about them. They want a meaningful life, not one lived for others. They teach eachotger a lot, about themselves and each other. The relationship that blooms between them is something neither of them expected, but everything they both needed.

Loved it! I will definitely be checking out the authors other works.