American Girl by Wendy Walker is unique in the way that it was first an audible book. I am so happy it is now in print form. This story flew by and I finished it and still wanted more. Charlie is a strong character, so well developed and one who taught me a lot about autism. It was amazing seeing such positive representation for autism. The suspense was building so much at times that I would put the book down, take a breath and dive back in. Walker is a master at her craft and every book gets better and better!

<b>This is another whodunit winner from Wendy Walker: a character-driven mystery with a neurodivergent main protagonist, small-town intrigue, and satisfying revenge.</b>

<blockquote><b>I began to form rules like math equations. <i>When this happens, people act that way and say those things. When that happens, people act this way and say other things.</i> And those rules stayed in my head, each and every one. I realized I could use them to prepare for whatever was coming. To protect myself.</blockquote></b>
Charlie is a math-whiz teen with autism who is working as much as possible at The Triple S sandwich shop so that she can one day afford to leave her Pennsylvania hometown and attend MIT.

But when the shop owner, Clay Cooper, who owns several other local businesses, is a town council member, and has his hand in most of the local business, turns up dead, everyone becomes a suspect, including all of his employees.

Charlie must help discover the truth about what happened in order to clear her coworkers--and Charlie herself--from suspicion of murder.

But it becomes clear that Clay was in deep with some seedy characters, and key elements of the mystery of his death stretch back decades--intersecting with Charlie's own family.

Charlie is whip-smart intelligent in her evaluation of the facts of the complicated series of events. She is also somewhat closed off emotionally (this seems to be connected to her autism). She has a difficult relationship with her stepfather and her mother, who loves Charlie deeply but manipulates others in order to get by. (Side note: the storyline concerning the scholarship and her stepfather had me on the verge of screaming with frustration on Charlie's behalf.)

<blockquote><b>She was describing things I already knew about myself that I thought no one else had noticed because I was so good at pretending.</blockquote></b>
Her longtime friend and could-be love is a steady, supportive force in the background of her life--but Charlie has developed heartbreaking relationship "rules" that prevent her from becoming attached, for fear that she won't be strong enough to leave town and make her mark on the world.

I loved Charlie as our main protagonist. She is not exactly an unreliable narrator, but it does turn out that she's been withholding key information from the reader. I was fascinated, watching her knowledge creep out and its implications unfold, while she discovered essential facts that change everything.

I appreciated the choice to have main protagonist Charlie be neurodivergent--and to name the book about her <i>American Girl. </i>

Wendy Walker writes wonderful, character-driven suspense that keeps me hooked as she guides the reader through a twisty mystery. The fierce loyalty and revenge elements in this intriguing whodunit were immensely satisfying.

I received a prepublication edition of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing.

Wendy Walker is also the author of <a href="https://www.bossybookworm.com/post/review-of-what-remains-by-wendy-walker/"><b><i>What Remains</a></i></b> and <a href="https://www.bossybookworm.com/post/review-of-don-t-look-for-me-by-wendy-walker/"><b><i>Don't Look for Me</a></i></b> as well as <i>All Is Not Forgotten, Emma in the Night,</i> and <i>The Night Before.</i>

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I liked it. I think Wendy Walker did a really solid job of creating a mystery that worked - Charlie was a really good protagonist (and it was nice to have a neurodiverse lead). She was able to be part of the mystery while still seeing it from the outside: Charlie knew just enough to push the story forward, while also being enough in the dark that you were guessing along with her.

I don't think anyone will read this and gasp when you find out "who done it" -- BUT I do think you'll be entertained and it was nicely wrapped up.

I gave this 3.75 stars but will round it up to 4 because: I didn't figure it out (completely), I really enjoyed the story and the characters, and I thought it was well written. I wish it had been written with a dual point of view, but that's just a personal preference.

Recommended read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. And Wendy Walker is the queen of a good thriller. My heart was racing 90% of this book. This is the story of an american girl, Charlie who is on the spectrum and witnesses a murder.

American Girl by Wendy Walker is a psychological thriller that will have you guessing until the end!

Charlie, an autistic 17-year-old is determined to leave her small Pennsylvania town and works in a sandwich shop so she can save up to afford MIT next year. When her boss who is both feared and respected in the community is found dead, everyone on staff is a suspect including Charlie who is keeping quiet to protect herself and her friends...

I always enjoy Wendy Walker books because you never know where she is going to go. They are fast-paced psychological thrillers with great characters!

I now need to listen to American Girl by Tom Petty to get the song out of my head!

I have been a long time fan of Wendy Walker and always jump at a chance to read another book by her.

American Girl started strong. Charlie is just trying to work at the sandwich shop and earn money to prepare to move away and go to college. Social barriers due to Charlie's autism make it difficult to understand how people function, but Charlie gets by with creating rules that help her understand others better. These rules have helped her this far, until the boss at her work is murdered and Charlie may have witnessed too much. Now in the aftermath, Charlie is trying to keep up with her rules, help the police, and protect those close to her.

I liked it because of some of the unique elements and plot that felt fresh and new in this genre of writing.

I am such a fan of the author’s thrillers. They grab me from the start and I always read them quickly, but this one had a little more for me. I love that Charlie is autistic and lets us into her world. I don’t always like the main characters in thrillers, but I liked her instantly when her grandmother described her as a child like that. In front of her. Then later her mom was describing things she already knew about herself that she thought no one else would notice because she was such a good pretender. I just wanted to protect her. She ends up a suspect in her boss’ murder. She is fierce, protective and loyal to her friends and courageous as she tries to work out what happened.

Such a likable character at the center of a twisty murder mystery had me not wanting to put this one down. Seriously if your a fan of thrillers, you need to pick this one up.

Charlie, an autistic 17-year-old, finders herself in the middle of a murder case in the sandwich shop she works at. Trying her hardest to focus on her plan to get out of her home town, Charlie finds herself forced to protect herself and her friends while the murderer is loose.
Great read! I connected with the main character quickly and was hooked.

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing in exchange for my honest review

Wendy Walker, the Author of “American Girl,” has written an intense and captivating thriller. The Genres for this novel are Suspense, Thriller, Mystery, and Fiction. The author adds a “touch of class” when vividly describing her dramatic characters. I couldn’t put this book down; the twists and turns, betrayals, and ups and downs were riveting. Charlie Hudson is a 17-year-old autistic senior in high school who works long hours to afford to leave her town and go to college. Charlie works in a luncheonette and likes the predictability of preparing sandwiches and putting everything in its place. Charlie has made a family of sorts with her co-workers and feels protective of them. Charlie’s mother has always made her feel “different, and she is ambivalent towards her stepdad. Charlie regards her Mother’s advice as rules to live by.

When Clay Cooper’s body is found, there could be many suspects. Clay Cooper was Charlie’s boss and owned many businesses in town. His conducting his business and personal life had many people angry with him. Unfortunately, Charlie is caught on camera leaving the scene of the crime. Charlie is not considered a suspect, but what does she know can put her friends, family, and herself in danger?

Charlie has the ability to remember numbers and may hold important evidence and clues to solve this case. Can she do this and protect everyone? I highly recommend this thrilling novel.

Wendy Walker has an amazing talent for taking everyday life, including serious family conditions, situations, and events and incorporating them into a thrilling, fast-paced, superbly layered mystery. Full of edge-of-your-seat suspense and populated with characters that reveal more and more shocking surprises as you get further and further into the book.

Charlie Hudson is an amazing, admirable person. She is autistic but that doesn’t define her. She’s clever, thoughtful, resourceful, sensitive and has developed coping mechanisms for her autism that allow her to function very well, thank you. You realize just how amazing she is when you learn that her mother is kind of a monster. Not what strangers see, nothing so overt, but how she treats Charlie. A single mom who seemed to be doing her best, moving them often, trying to make a good life but they never quite fit in. When Charlie was about nine years old and the autism diagnosis became certain, her mother made it clear to Charlie that she was different, that all the tricks she thought made her fit in didn’t work, and that she shouldn’t have the same expectations as other girls, shouldn’t give in to those urges and let them ruin her life – as happened to Charlie’s mother when she had Charlie. Married to a lawyer and now living the life she always felt she deserved, new family, husband to provide for her, still professes to care for Charlies but it’s apparent she doesn’t want to be embarrassed, inconvenienced, doesn’t want her now-perfect Real Housewives life upset.

Autism makes Charlie is very literal, so when she makes a promise related to the death of her boss to not tell what she saw, she is determined to keep that promise, whatever the consequences to her. What happens next is a roller-coaster ride. You can’t help but be on Charlie’s side from the moment you meet her, to root for her, to wish you could sit down with her and figure the best way out. The story moves rapidly, providing clues but keeping you guessing until the very satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for providing an advance copy of American Girl via NetGalley. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it and anything else this talented author writes without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

I love Wendy Walker! I had high hopes for American Girl and while I adored the main character, Charlie, and felt the book was fast paced, I was ultimately left wanting more because I guessed the twists and there wasn’t a huge shock factor like I wanted.

I’m looking forward to what comes next from Wendy Walker!

Charlie is a sweet girl but she is autistic. She has high goals and one is to escape her hometown as soon as she can. She works hard at the sandwich shop so she will have enough money to go to college. But when the owner of the sandwich shop is murdered, Charlie becomes a suspect and everything she strives for may be in jeopardy.

I love Charlie. She stole my heart from the very first! And her situation just makes you want to slap everyone in her orbit.

This is not my favorite Wendy Walker book. It is still a good read, it just did not seem to have her usual intensity. That being said, there are quite a few twists and turns I did not see coming. I can honestly say, this book had me guessing through most of it.

And the audiobook comes with a disclaimer…with strong language, violence, etc…to me…that is unnecessary. But people take offense to so much these days. Being the avid reader I am, I did not have ANY trouble with anything in this book. It is a fiction thriller, read it or not…(you will miss out if you don’t!) It’s free on audible! Run grab it!

Need a perplexing tale with a great character…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Have you seen that meme that says the first half of the book was longer than the second half - or something like that anyway - well that is definitely true for this book for me . American Girl starts off very slow - it’s a stream of thoughts in the head of Charlie, an autistic teenage girl who has witnessed her boss’ murder . In the second half, the story starts to come together and the story moves much faster as the mystery surrounding Clay’s death - as well as a few others - are revealed .

Wendy Walker is definitely on my list of must-read thriller authors

Charlie Hudson, an autistic seventeen-year-old, is determined to leave Sawyer, PA, as soon as she graduates high school. She has even been accepted at MIT. Now, she just needs the funds to go..... so she is working as many hours as she can at a sandwich shop called The Triple S to save up. When her employer, Clay Cooper—a man both respected and feared in their small economically depressed town—is found dead, each member of his staff becomes a suspect. Charlie must protect herself and her friends by uncovering the danger that is still lurking in their tightknit community.

This book was so good. I didn't want to put it down. Every chapter seemed to rachet up the suspense level, until it was at the breaking point. I really enjoyed seeing everything through the lens of someone with autism. She had such a unique perspective on things, and I loved all of the "rules" that she had made up to help her navigate the world. The book kept me guessing up until the end as to who killed Clay Cooper, but also, you weren't sure which newcomers on the scene were who they said they were (like FBI agents, attorneys,, etc.). This book was definitely a nail biter, and if you are a fan of thrillers, then you are going to love this!

I have yet to read a Wendy Walker book that I didn’t like. This one is definitely one of my favorites of hers. I loved Charlie’s character; getting the inner workings of her brain. The creepiness factor was spot on for me. Walker really did an amazing job shedding light on what it is to be a woman in the workplace and having to navigate around being young and having a male boss.

As always, I was instantly sucked in from the very beginning and I loved the twists and expected turns that Walker throws in throughout.

What do you think of when you hear the term American Girl?

Walker shows the gritty side of an American girl’s life in this thriller with the main character coming from a broken home. The protagonist, Charlie Hudson, is a high- functioning autistic 17-year old determined to make a better life for herself than her mother. That means getting out of Sawyer, PA with an acceptance to MIT. In order to make that happen she needs money for school. This puts her and her best friend ,also from a broken home, at the mercy of Clay Cooper, a predatory businessowner in the economically depressed town. He is fouo dead and much of his staff have a motive for murder. Charlie must protect herself and her friends by uncovering the danger that is still lurking in their tightknit community.


My thoughts:

This is a brilliantly written mystery/thriller that shines a light on the predatory environment that many young females face when they enter the workforce. I could relate to this because I experienced that first hand at one of my first jobs and so did my youngest daughter whose beauty has always put her at risk. Walker writes with such imagery and figurative language that I found myself highlighting so many parts. This is also a side effect of being a language arts teacher. I also really liked the fierceness in which Charalie’s mother protected her and seeing the world through someone who is autistic is also really eye-opening.

Charlie takes care of her pack in this book, her two best friends and the people she works with at the sandwich shop.

I definitely think this is one of my favorites from Walker so far and you don’t want to miss out on this one!

What lengths will Charlie have to go to in order to leave her hometown?

You know this type of town: a small one, with few employment opportunities & not that many chances to leave, with many families living paycheck to paycheck. Charlie is an autistic teenager determined to leave Sawyer, PA in the dust after high school graduation, & she’s been working like crazy to keep her grades up & earn a partial scholarship & save the money from her part-time job at the Triple S sandwich shop to pay for the tuition at MIT. She’s heeded her mother’s warning about not letting a boy get in the way of her future, & she’s also following her own numbered rules for how to conduct herself in a world of confusing social cues. But then the owner of many small businesses in town, the Triple S included, is murdered - & all of Charlie’s careful planning couldn’t have anticipated something like this…

I love Charlie’s work ethic, & the found family she’s formed with her coworkers is a beautiful dynamic. The commentary on the way young women can be sucked into never leaving these poverty-stricken places was thought-provoking, & the way the author had history trickle down from the older generation of citizens & influence the lives of teenagers in town was artfully crafted.

Thank you to NetGalley & Blackstone for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy Walker has once again proven her talent for crafting mystery and suspense in her latest book, making it my favorite among her works. Originally released as an Audible exclusive, it is now set to be available in print, a move that delights those like me who prefer traditional reading.

The story revolves around Charlie Hudson, a seventeen-year-old on the cusp of completing high school and holding a coveted acceptance to MIT, her ticket out of Sawyer, PA. Charlie's life unfolds within the confines of her job at the local sandwich shop, The Triple S, where she diligently saves money for her college expenses. There's a unique aspect to Charlie; she's autistic. The people she works with at the shop have become her family, and she would go to great lengths to protect them. When they all become suspects in the death of Clay Cooper, the unlikeable owner of The Triple S, Charlie's loyalty to her friends is put to the test. She was present the night of the murder but refuses to speak about it. What measures will she take to ensure the safety of the ones she loves? Charlie is a character who I wholeheartedly loved. Her narrative perspective is truly engaging, and I found her experiences and challenges both heart-wrenching and compelling. The hardships she confronts from her past, combined with her presence at the scene of the crime, add depth to her character and make the story truly absorbing.

The twists in the plot are both shocking and brilliant, leading to a thoroughly satisfying conclusion. I'd eagerly welcome another book featuring Charlie as the main character. Wendy Walker's storytelling prowess shines in this book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it. It's an outstanding read, filled with suspense and mystery, and definitely deserves five stars.

Although this feels different from her other books, American Girl is another win for Wendy Walker. I loved having a neurodivergent main character, and I loved how loyal she was to her people. There were so many great characters, and I loved the way that Walker wrote about the relationship dynamics among different characters. The tension was well built, and I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout. I will admit I did not get the point of the title (it wasn't referenced until the very end) until I read an email by Walker this morning that explained it......it didn't really seem to fit the book to me, but I do get why it was chosen now. Walker is definitely a go to author for me!

Thank you NetGalley, Wendy Walker & Blackstone Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVE Wendy Walker's books! She has quickly become one of my favorite thriller authors. The twists and turns this book took kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! I absolutely loved this book and. cannot wait for Wendy Walker's next one!

4 star read for me!