Member Reviews

This is a really dark and frustrating read.
Itโ€™s clear early on that women are being targeted because of opinions of fiction theyโ€™ve shared online, but the full scope of misogynists with too much money is so depressing. Admittedly, I thought it was going to be more of a thriller than a horror book, but itโ€™s definitely horror in the way that the horrible things these women endure is the point of the story.

Was this review helpful?

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ž ๐๐š๐ฒ ๐ก๐š๐ ๐Ÿ๐ž๐ฅ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ž ๐ข๐ญ ๐ก๐š๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ž๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐š ๐ฌ๐œ๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ๐ญ--๐ž๐ฏ๐ž๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ž'๐ ๐ก๐š๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ž๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐ž๐ฅ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ž ๐๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ž, ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ž๐ซ๐ž ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ข๐ง๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐š๐ง ๐š๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ž ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐š๐ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐š๐ฅ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐ž๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ž ๐ง๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐š๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ž๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ž ๐๐จ.

Told through three separate plot lines that all converge at the end into one shocking finale, GOOD GIRLS DON'T DIE is one of the most original books I've read lately. If you've ever just taken a time-out to look around and think, "This just can't be my life" or talked to an imaginary confessional company when you were frustrated at work. then you will love this book.

Part one focuses on Celia, and I was instantly drawn to her story. She wakes up in a strange house with a strange man and a strange child who is whining for breakfast and to have her lunchbox packed. Celia has no idea who they are.

Part two was Allie, who is on a weekend trip to a cabin in the woods with some friends and some people she doesn't quite trust. I loved her story because it was reminiscent of old school slasher films and was teeming with Final Girl vibes.

Last up was Maggie, who has been kidnapped and forced to partake in a game with distinctly dystopian survival themes like The Hunger Games and Divergent.

The tension in the individual story lines was intense, and when they all tied together, I couldn't wait to see how everything was going to be resolved. My only complaint was the ending was super abrupt. I have no problem with open or ambiguous endings, but this one caught me completely by surprise. Regardless, I loved this book and am grateful to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the early read. This title will publish November 14, 2023.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars rounded up

In this book we have three sections: Celia, Allie, and Maggie. Each woman feels like sheโ€™s been dropped into a situation that doesnโ€™t feel quite right. What starts as a mystery quickly turns into survival horror as each woman has to fight for her life.

I enjoyed the general premise of this book, but it was very easy to guess where this was headed in the first section. I've read pretty much all of Henry's other books, and unfortunately, this one wasn't as engaging as the others.

I really liked our main characters. Each woman was strong, smart, and didnโ€™t back down when she knew she was right. The story felt like it flew by since each section was only a few chapters. I would have liked to spend more time with each woman and maybe get an epilogue, but overall this was a fast-paced and very enjoyable story.

Was this review helpful?

I really wanted to like Good Girls Don't Die. On paper, it's got everything I love - spooky, surreal premises, complicated women, multiple narratives, and some meta-commentary on the horror and mystery fiction tropes. But after getting 100 pages in, I had to admit it wasn't becoming less of a chore to read these protagonists traipse through interesting settings without a single iota of subtext. EVERYTHING is left on the page, literally. Every single emotion, thought, complication, and plot twist is painstakingly explained through hammy internal dialogue. Perhaps this is a book for other readers - and the story itself has serious promise - but I struggled to find something redeeming or satisfying in the experience of reading it (which, after all, is the whole point)

Was this review helpful?

The overall plot kind of reminds me of (spoiler alert) Antebellum, a movie I [expletive deleted] hated. One of the reasons I hated it was that it was clearly written by people who have no concept of a woman's experience. Thankfully, this book is the exact opposite. In this, the characters read as true, despite the extraordinary circumstances in which they find themselves.

Was this review helpful?

This is like three short stories that all end up together. The first story was my favorite. A woman wakes up and has no idea who she is and doesn't remember her husband or daughter at all. She tries to get through the day the best she can because she's afraid if she tells anyone, they will think she's crazy. In the next story, a college student is trapped in a cabin in the woods with her friends and their boyfriends. Strange things start to happen outside and she doesn't trust one of the boyfriends. The last story is the craziest. A woman has been kidnapped and forced to participate in a survival type game while her daughter is being held hostage. I kept wondering what tied these three stories together and the ending brought the three women together in a realistic yet crazy way.

Was this review helpful?

Christina Henry always brings a page turner! These books are always easy to read, get sucked in and be suspended in the air waiting for the next jaw dropping moment!

Was this review helpful?

This book was not what i expected. There were three parts, three main characters, all women who find themselves in deadly situations. I liked the first story more, a woman who had no memory and was in a stepford wife kind of situation. The other two were more horror situations. Eventually they came together and it became clear it was an us against them and will the good guys/girls win? It is more action than I usually like but think others will enjoy it

Was this review helpful?

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Was this review helpful?

WOW! This was my first Christina Henry novel and I am blown away! It was very creepy and intriguing. I found Celia's story the most interesting but all three women's stories will blow you away and how they intertwine.

Was this review helpful?

I have read a few things by this author before, but this is definitely my favorite so far. This was a really creative story following three different women. I enjoyed Celia's story the most out of the three, but they were all pretty compelling. I also was genuinely so engrossed in the story and seeing how the stories intertwined--it was really cool to watch all of that unfold. The writing was really great and the pacing was also really good, I read a lot of it right before bed which wasn't great because I would stay up just thinking about what could happen next and how everything was connected. Super cool idea for a story and great execution!

Was this review helpful?

So sick and twisted! I chowed this book right down in one sitting. Christina Henry never disappoints - her books are fanf@(#ingtastic.. I have to go now - must re-read all her other books.

Thanks to Netgalley and PRH for the free copy in exchange for an honest review..

Was this review helpful?

This book was unique! Part 1 started off with Celia's story. She wakes up not remembering her daughter or her husband. Shes being framed for Murder.ย  Part 2 is Allie's story. Her birthday weekend was hijacked by her best friends boyfriends. They go camping and it turns into a camping trip from hell.ย  Part 3 is Maggie's story. She wakes up in an arena and has to complete the obstacles and make it to the end to save her daughter who has been kidnapped and held hostage.

I loved the 3 short stories in one book. It reminded me of the kind of books I read growing up. The books that ignited my love of reading. But, this was you knowย  the grown up version. Y'all the 3 stories merged in to one!!! How neat is that?!? I really enjoyed this book. The writing was easy to read and each story line had depth making me forget I was reading a short story. I read this for stretches in the car and while we were waiting in line at Legoland. Perfect book for that IMO.

I will post this review on IG closer to Pub Date

Was this review helpful?

WOW! This is my first Christina Henry novel and I am blown away. What a creative book! It was super creepy and intriguing. I found Celia's story the most interesting but all three women's stories will blow you away and how they intertwine. I don't want to give anything away just read it, but maybe not before bed like I did because you won't be getting much sleep!

Was this review helpful?

Celia finds herself trapped in someone elseโ€™s life. Allieโ€™s birthday trip turns into a slasherfest in a cabin in the woods. Maggie is kidnapped and made to play a dangerous dystopian type maze game. All three women find themselves in situations reminiscent of their favorite fiction- and are fighting to survive. What is really happening and is it possible to make it out alive?
How does Christina Henry come up with these things? This is a page turner! Love her work!!
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC- my opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

WOWZER! I was blown away by this book! It is action packed and has your heart racing wondering what is going to happen next. It is unpredictable and full of shocks and twists. I binge read the book in one sitting as I didn't want to set the book down.

Celia wakes up and doesn't remember her life. She has a daughter yelling at her and swears she has never seen her before and a husband she doesn't recognize. This one gives off creepy Stepford wife vibes and you just wonder how did she get here?

Allison has a birthday girls weekend planned with her friends. Brad shows up to drive them to beach and next thing she knows she wakes up near a secluded cabin in the woods. This one gives off scary slasher movie vibes.

Maggie wakes up in a shipping container with 9 other women. This one is a twisted Hunger Games/Maze Runner vibe with who will make it out alive. She just wants to get back to her daughter and you feel the panic in her fight to survive and will scream at the horrors she has to go through.

This is one fast paced, action packed, twisty thriller you don't want to miss.

First book by this author and I will be looking for more.

Was this review helpful?

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

Was this review helpful?

I loved the premise of this book, the idea of being thrown into a book genre. However, it wasnโ€™t my favorite of Christina Henryโ€™s books. It read a bit like a YA novel. Overall though, I think it would be a good book for someone wanting a different take on a mystery thriller novel.

Was this review helpful?

Have you ever read a mystery book, and thought I could have figured this out way quicker than the MC did? Well, prove it.

This book was so unique in its plot! And I honestly didnโ€™t know where it was going and what was actually happening until the very end. It was SO GOOD! You have 3 different women, all waking up in 3 very weird situations, and the more they look at the tiny details of where they are - the more things just donโ€™t make sense.

I absolutely devoured this book in one day, but I had to sleep on it because wow. This book talks about the things women have to endure, as well as privilege. This is a must read and I canโ€™t recommend it enough!

Thank you @berkleypub and @netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Pub date: November 2023.

Was this review helpful?

In this novel, three womenโ€™s stories converge in a unique way. Celia wakes up with no memories, only a husband and daughter she doesnโ€™t recognize. She quickly realizes things arenโ€™t right, but she doesnโ€™t know who to trust. Allie is heading on a birthday weekend trip with her two girlfriends and their boyfriends. She thinks theyโ€™re going to the beach, but instead is surprised to find their getaway is now at a secluded cabin in the woods. Maggie awakens tied to a chair, forced to participate in a series of games with other women, their loved ones have been kidnapped, and only one will survive. Will the three women survive their stories? How is it all connected? Youโ€™ll have to read to find out!

I loved this thriller! It was such a fun combination of tropes and familiar stories that ultimately come together at the end. The book is made up of four sections. Celiaโ€™s is a spin on the Stepford Wives, The Truman Show, and Donโ€™t Worry Darling. Allieโ€™s story pays homage to The Cabin in the Woods, Scream, Halloween, and The Strangers. Maggieโ€™s story references YA dystopian stories like the Hunger Games, 5th Wave, and Maze Runner. I loved how the characters referenced all of these popular books and movies, and they ultimately become a big part of the storyline. If you are a fan of these familiar thriller tropes and stories, you should read this book! It was such a fun thrill ride with a feminist twist. I couldnโ€™t turn the pages fast enough!

Thank you to Christina Henry, Berkley Publishing, and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?