I really wanted to love this book. The synopsis reminded me of one I had read and enjoyed and I thought I would love this. It just fell flat for me. It didn’t keep my interest and I found it hard to want to pick it up.

This book was beautiful. There is some mystery, but also a beautiful story of the aftermath. This story touched on so many important themes. A big theme of what the true crime genre has turned into and what effects that has on those who actually experienced it. A story of friendship through childhood to adulthood, through tragedy and happiness. Sexuality and the many many ways it can be complicated. Grief. I loved the various points of view with various timelines. I enjoyed the pacing. And the writing was really pulled me into the lives of these characters.

I have a lot to say about this absolutely phenomenal book. This is one of the best books I have read this year. I will be thinking about it for a long time to come.

This story centers around three friends: Bree, Chelsea, and Abby. They are childhood friends who end up at the same college. During their freshman year, Abby goes missing. She is presumed to be the victim of Jon Allan Blue. He is a convicted serial killer awaiting execution in Kentucky. He was never convicted in Abby's disappearance. She was never found.

I am not going to give anything away here. This story focuses on the survivors, Chelsea and Abby, and their trauma and the fact that they never got the answers they were looking for. This story is told from all three perspectives - Chelsea and Bree in 2015, and Abby in 2003. The story is also told through interviews, social media posts, and podcast episodes. A central focus of the story is a popular podcaster who wants to tell Abby's story.

While this book has all the hallmarks of a great mystery/thriller, this is really a story about the three women at the heart of the novel. There is a scene towards the end where Chelsea and Bree are trying to find the closure they so desperately need and Bree says something to Chelsea that managed to break my heart and put it back together at the same time. I would love to quote it here, but you need to read if for yourself. Also, the last page of the book - just perfect.

I would also like to mention the true crime aspect of this novel. I have read, watched, and listened to true crime for about 30 years. The author really focuses on what good true crime should: the victims. We need to remember their names. We should celebrate their lives. They should be the focus - not the sensationalized parts of the story. I absolutely loved this aspect of the book!
This book is an emotional roller coaster that I will never forget. I tagged quite a few quotes and passages to go back to and revisit. This book is a debut, and I cannot wait to see what this author writes next. I will be first in line to read it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read this novel. I will be letting everyone know just how much I loved it. I am really into books right now with the true crime theme. Pick this one up - I highly recommend it!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book!
This was an incredibly modern and moving thriller. There were twists, but they were earned! And I’m so happy with the way the ending validated the entire premise of the book. Another ending would have been cheap. The characters were flawed but realistic, and incredibly, I wanted them all to end up happy because of all we knew of them. Such an incredible work!

Don't Forget the Girl is a gritty multi-perspective mystery about Bree and Chelsea, who are haunted by the disappearance and murder of their best friend, Abby when they were in college. It takes place in 2016 when they're 30; and 2004, when they're 18, flashing back to the time Abby disappeared. Though it's assumed that she was the victim of a serial killer in the Midwest, Abby has never received justice by the resolution of her case. Abby's murder has long-effected Bree and Chelsea and their life choices. When the novel starts in 2016, the murderer is facing state execution in 30 days, which doesn't leave Abby's friends and family much time to get a final confession, especially as there is a lot of public interest in the case with a series and podcast about him coming out. I was drawn into this story immediately. The setting and pace are perfect. Jennifer O'Donnell deftly narrates the audiobook. Her voice is rich and smoky, giving the story depth and intrigue. I highly recommend this atmospheric mystery!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for providing this ebook/audiobook ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This one is really a character driven novel about three best friends.  One of the girls disappeared in college, and the other girls believe she was a victim of a serial killer on campus, though her body was never found. The story takes place during two timelines: when the girls are in college before the disappearance, and years later as the serial killer is about to be put to death. The girls never really recovered after the disappearance of their friend and are still fighting to keep her story alive.

I really liked the characters in this book and the relationships between the three girls. I felt like the characters were all really well developed and had their own voices. I wouldn't say this was necessarily a very thrilling book, more of a mystery, and there weren't too many twists, but I still found the story to be really enjoyable and I wanted to find out how it would all wrap up.

Overall, I thought this was a super solid debut from McKanna, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Read this if you like:
▪️Serial killer stories
▪️True crime podcasts
▪️Dual timelines
▪️LGBTQIA+ representation
▪️Character driven novels

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Rebecca McKanna for the advanced copy of Don't Forget the Girl in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the point of view chapters from Bree and Chelsea, but I admittedly really struggled with Abby's flashback chapters because of the second person POV. I found myself pretty consistently confused with her chapters.

I also wanted more from the night Abby disappeared and while the reader does get answers, they felt somewhat rushed and I would've liked that to be fleshed out a little more.

Regardless, I won't hesitate to read this author again in the future.

Thank you @bookmarked @netgalley for a copy of this book. This was a very deep thriller and I love that it explores the friendship between Abby, Chelsea and Bree. The story is told in present time line in Chelsea and Bree's POV and Abby's POV in the past. The book really delves in how the death of a friend can impact the living. It makes you ache for both of them and how they both suffer differently. I love this story explores first love, acceptance and LGTB.

You don’t think about it when tragedy like murder strikes. Everyone is fascinated with the perpetrator. Who were they, why did this happen, how did the system fail these people, and so on. Sure the victims are mentioned and honored but how soon are they out of the spotlight while their killer is continuously talked about and examined. Why do we so often forget?
When reading Don’t Forget the Girl, I thought further on this matter. The story centers around two friends years after their mutual friend disappears. The body was never found which leaves very little closure for those left behind. The book alternates between the two friends, Chelsea and Bree’s, perspectives in present day, as well as the missing girl, Abby’s, days leading up to her disappearance. I believe this helped me connect with these characters to get an inside look at how they were all feeling. It truly helps see the strengths and flaws in each circumstance. I found myself both rooting for and getting frustrated with each girl.
This book is listed as a thriller. While it does have thriller aspects, I personally cried through much of it. The crazy part is that my emotions were not solely in regards to a young woman disappearing but also because I saw the struggles these women were going through, not only in the past but also the present. We see these women question who they are and what direction their lives are going. We see societal pressures and exploitation. The exploration of trauma with tragedy and its foothold so deep that the women are bound to it for many years.
The writing I felt was well done. Alternating timelines and perspectives can be a daunting task and can go wrong very easily. The author handled this aspect very well and I would have been much less invested without the alternating povs.
I truly enjoyed this book and have already verbally recommended it to several people. If you enjoy true crime, I think you will enjoy this fiction. Don’t Forget the Girl is not to be missed this summer. It’s on sale now so grab some tissues and pick it up from your favorite retailer.

Love the Iowa setting - I’m a Midwest girl and we rarely have books set here. Was a great summer read!

Thank you Rebecca McKanna, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC e-book. It seems in so many high profile cases the killers voice and story foreshadows the victims. Everyone wants to know what happened and why and the dead are quickly forgotten. This book shows how this happens in a complex thriller told through the perspective of friends of the victim who have not spoken since the incident and are reunited when a podcast about the high profile other cases are stirred up again.

Happy publication date 6/20/2023.
Thanks Netgalley , Sourcebook Landmark publications & author for sharing ARC .
How often do we discuss the victims of murder or violence in depth ? It’s all about the serial killers/ murderers that are analyzed, overly discussed , their lives, history , psychology , motive behind whatever they do. But what about the victims? The people in their lives who have lost them ?
This story narrates the aftermath and the lives of such victims and their families, Abby Hartman disappeared 18years ago from her college and was believed to be one of the victims of serial killer Jon Allen Blue now awaiting his execution. Abby’s friends Bree, Chelsea who are forever impacted from this event , have a rush down the memory lane as her body is unearthed. Stories of the past , present are narrated in chapters from all 3 friends that give the readers the whole picture.
The story moves in depth of the characters , backgrounds, giving us details as to what transpired in the past and how it impacted all their lives in the present with a few revelations. It’s definitely a slow burn and stays true to the topic and tittle - Don’t forget the girl .

It’s a 3.5 / 5 star ⭐️ read for me .

12 years ago Abby Hartman, college freshman disappears. She is thought to be the victim of serial Killer Jon Allan Blue, but was not confirmed, also her body was not found. Now in the present Blue is facing execution, a podcast reaches out to Abby's best friends at the time to participate, both desperate for answers, they agree. Secrets are revealed about both and their friendship along the way.

Chapters are dated with past and current timeline, told from all three girls perspectives.

Both girls in current timeline have some issues going on in their lives and have not really gotten over Abby's disappearance but for different reasons.

So this book was marketed as a thriller.......not truly accurate for me--more of a womans drama, or general fiction---there is not big twists, no thrills to speak of and does not have much in the line of events. Story focuses overwhelmingly much on the sexual relationships and content is disturbing and overkill at times. Identity of killer is not shocking. The secret that was kept for 12 years, not really a big reveal either. Just really was not captivating and struggled to finish and skipped paragraphs due to sexual descriptions.

Thanks to Netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

“We never remember the dead girls…we never forget the killers”.

A decade ago, Abby Hartmann disappeared. Now, her serial killer, Jon Allan Blue, is about to be executed. Abby’s best friends Bree and Chelsea watch as Abby’s memory is overshadowed by the monster who took her life. To add insult to injury, a high-profile podcast is dedicating its next season to Blue’s killings so the friends must reunite.

I loved the concept of this story; it reminded me a tiny bit of Megan Goldin’s “Night Swim”, but it just missed the mark for me. I felt the story was drawn out and some parts I found myself skimming ahead to see if something interesting was going to happen. I hate attaching stars to my ratings, because not everyone loves the same type of story, but unfortunately I am just not the intended audience for this one. I would love to check out more from this debut author in the future.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for the ARC! “Don’t Forget the Girl” releases June 20th!

Abby Hartmann disappeared twelve years ago and Jon Allan Blue, the serial killer suspected of her murder, is about to be executed, Abby's best friends, Bree and Chelsea, have to watch as the media circus ensues and Abby's disappearance is overshadowed by Jon Allan Blue's flashier crimes. After years of resentment and estrangement between the two friends, they decide to band together to talk about Abby on a podcast dedicated to Blue's murders.

I really enjoyed this book, told from multiple timelines and POVs. Bouncing back and forth from before Abby's disappearance to the now, we get to watch the intricate story of Abby, Bree and Chelsea's lives - the secrets between them and how grief alters us. The formatting used to tell this story was particularly attractive and kept the reader engaged. It was a quick and captivating read that I think all thriller lovers, especially those that love an emotional roller-coaster, will thoroughly enjoy.

If you are looking for a plot twisting and turning psychological thriller, then this might not be the book for you. It is more mysterious and emotional, which I enjoyed but may be off-putting to some. There is some homophobia and predation, so if these are triggers to you then I wouldn't suggest this book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this slow-burn "thriller". I loved the way I felt like I knew each and every character on a close and personal level. It was a beauty of a book, especially for a debut. I will for sure be on the lookout for other books by Rebecca McKanna.

Don’t Forget the Girl by Rebecca McKanna is debut thriller that reads as if McKanna has been writing forever. The characters are fully realized and immensely entertaining. The descriptions were so vivid, I felt like I was along for the ride! I highly recommend this!

Rebecca McKanna, I do not know where you came from but now that you are here, I am never letting you leave!

Don't Forget the Girl, is an incredible breakthrough debut and it was an honor to be selected as an early reviewer in exchange for an honest opinion!

YIKES BIKES!

This was one hell of a wild ride and I became fully vested on page one. My emotions ran wild and I just wanted justice! This book played out like a movie right before my eyes and the twist was indescribable!

This is a book you do not want to miss!

Teaser:

We never remember the dead girls. We never forget the killers.

Twelve years ago, 18-year-old University of Iowa freshman Abby Hartmann disappeared. Now, Jon Allan Blue, the serial killer suspected of her murder, is about to be executed. Abby's best friends, Bree and Chelsea, watch as Abby's memory is unearthed and overshadowed by Blue and his flashier crimes. The friends, estranged in the wake of Abby's disappearance, and suffering from years of unvoiced resentments, must reunite when a high-profile podcast dedicates its next season to Blue's murders. Tense and introspective, Don't Forget the Girl is an astonishing debut thriller that mines the complexities of friendship and the secrets between us that we may take to the grave.

I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher for review.

As the true crime genre expands I expect we'll see more books similar to this in due time. Don't Forget the Girl follows Bree, Chelsea, and Abby as you get the lead up and fall out of Abby's death. For Bree and Chelsea you get their stories 12 years after Abby's disappearance as they struggle to come to terms with her body being found in conjunction with her suspected murderer's death sentence being carried out.

I wish this story had been less true crime-y and more thriller-y, I think I would have like this a lot more if it had been. But I find that I'm unsatisfied with a lot of true crime information because not everything always gets wrapped up in a neat bow by the end, although I will say this mostly does. I think I'm most disappointed in the fact that there wasn't really a twist at the end like I expected. Just everyone finally moved on and like boom that's the end. That was the most unsatisfying part I think.

Rebecca McKanna's captivating debut, DON'T FORGET THE GIRL, is perfect for June's LGBT Pride Month!

Secrets, friendships, grief, sexuality, shaming, self-identity, loss, love, forgiveness, and grief are some topics in this emotional and lyrical new novel.

In 2003, 18 yr old Abby Hartmann went missing on Halloween night after an argument with her best friends, Bree and Chelsea.

Her body had not been found but suspected Abby was another victim of the serial killer, Jon Allen Blue. In the present, Jon Allan Blue is soon to be executed and still has not confessed to killing Abby.

Bree (professor) and Chelsea (priest) have been estranged for years, struggling with their grief and reuniting to find answers.

What happened the night Abby went missing? The author slowly unravels the events leading up to the night Abby went missing in dual timelines.

Abby was in a secret relationship but could not come out to her parents. Her partner was pressuring her, but she knew her parents would not understand.

You are unsure where the author is going with the story; however, she keeps you in suspense while you are reading (listening into the wee hours of the morning).

A character-driven, heartbreaking, emotional, and moving story that focuses on the three girls' friendship, their demons, guilt, resentments, and their relationship with Abby—the fallout after she was taken and how the trauma has shaped their lives and those connected to her.

The podcast with podcaster Rachel adds to the overall story dedicating its season to Blu's murders and the personal relationships with the victim and the parents. There is also a bestselling book by the detective. The news, podcast interviews, and interview transcripts are blended within the chapters.

Told in alternating POV, Bree and Chelsea’s narratives are in the third person in the present, while Abby speaks in the second person in the past—a little confusing while listening to the audio version.

The author expertly explores how society and media embellish serial killers but often forget about the victims and those connected to the lost ones.

DON'T FORGET THE GIRL is for fans of Megan Goldin, Laura Lippman, and Heather Gudenkauf and those who enjoy true crime. Ideal for book clubs. I am looking forward to reading more from this talented author.

I listened to the audiobook by Jennifer O'Donnell for an engrossing performance, listening experience, and the e-book.

Thanks to #RBMedia #RecordedBooks for a gifted ALC and #SourcebooksLandmark for an ARC via #NetGalley for review purposes.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 20, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
June 2023 Must-Read Books

The story is more what happened to Abby Hartmann. It is about those that are left behind and their story of grief, guilt, friendship, and love. The story captured my attention from the start, but the last part of the story really spoke to me. The story is told is alternating time lines with Abby telling her story in the past while Bree and Chelsea in in the present. The author presented a valid point of view as to how many victims remain unknown while their murderers become public personas. I can't name any of the victims of Jeffery Dahmer, but his name will be forever known. This is the kind of book that stays with me and I am thankful to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for advanced readers copy.