I went into this book expecting a thriller. And although I would not necessarily classify it that way, I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook while I read along. I thought the narrator did a great job. I don't have anything specific to point out, good or bad.

Abby, Chelsea and Bree were college students who had been best friends since high school. One night, after an argument, Abby storms off, never to be seen again. It is assumed that she was a victim of a serial killer on campus, but it was never proven at the time and her body was not found.

Years later, the serial killer is set to be executed for his crimes against the known victims. Podcasts and docudramas are being made about him. Chelsea and Bree have gone their separate ways, and individually grapple with the fact that Abby is the forgotten girl, never mentioned. Chelsea in particular is coping with a secret she's kept about her relationship with Abby, all these years.

Chelsea and Bree reunite in the week before the execution because they are running out of time to get the answers that they desperately seek.

The book is told on the two separate timelines. It takes place mostly in the present time but will periodically flip back to the past in flashbacks, to explain what happened. Abby's chapters are told in the second person, which I found to be interesting and kept the timelines distinct for me.

In the current time, Bree is a professor who has made the poor decision of sleeping with one of her students. Although you feel bad for what she has been through, I felt her to be somewhat unlikeable and it was difficult to feel bad for the repercussions of her current decisions. Chelsea became a minister and is struggling in a marriage that she is not happy in, because she has not been true to herself. I found her to be more likeable than Bree. Overall, I really needed the women to sit down, be honest with each other and talk out their unspoken resentment that they had housed over the years. It was a relief when it finally happened.

Overall, I found it to be a great book. It was more about friendship, love, forgiveness and healing over anything else.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for a gifted advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ꜰᴏʀɢᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ɢɪʀʟ ʙʏ ʀᴇʙᴇᴄᴄᴀ ᴍᴄᴋᴀɴɴᴀ

Released Tuesday 20th June 2023!

I was so lucky to be able to listen to an advanced audio book of Don't Forget the Girl via @netgalley 📚
The concept intrigued me so much because of the bewildering yet true fact that murderers often get fame and notoriety, while the lives of the victims largely go unknown. Yet it went so much deeper than that with issues around acceptance, queer love, betrayal, morality, self-respect, and honesty - all wrapped up in this page turning novel.

The story is told from multiple points of view, both present and past, following the friendships and relationships of the girls going through college and embarking on a journey of discovery years later. I was definitely routing for them, as I am for Rebecca McKanna - what a brilliant first novel!

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

Many thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for the free audio book in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by Jennifer O'Donnell who does an excellent job.

Three young college women are attending the University of Iowa when one of them goes missing. A serial killer has been on the loose and everyone is on guard. Two weeks later there is a brutal slaying on campus at a sorority house and the serial killer is caught. Fast forward to today and we are days away from the serial killer being executed. The remaining two women have lived with the trauma of losing the third best friend in their circle and are today living under the shadow of the killings.

This is very well done with the three women telling the story from the past and current day POVs.
The characters are well developed, there are suspenseful moments and plenty of twists thrown in A lot of secrets come out that have been hidden for years. These women bravely confront their demons as the execution date of the serial killer grows nearer. I really enjoyed this!

Highly recommend!!!

Everybody knows the names of infamous killers like Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy and Jack the Ripper. But how many of us know the names of their victims?

This book tells the story of three best friends, Abby, Bree and Chelsea. In present time we follow Bree and Chelsea as they grapple with the impending execution of the suspected murderer of Abby. Meanwhile, through flashbacks we follow Abby in the events leading up to her disappearance many years earlier.

This was an incredible debut, and I will be sure to keep an eye on this author for more releases. I loved the writing in this, and especially how the flashbacks of Abby were written in a 2nd POV. It made me feel closer to Abby as well as making it easier to distinguish between the timeline.

I loved the discussions this book made about how we treat killers versus their victims. As well as societies attitude towards women being taught how to avoid becoming victims, as opposed to keeping men from doing the crime in the first place.

I would recommend this to anyone who spends their time reading/ watching true crime shows, or anyone just looking to read a good thriller.

A big thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and the author Rebecca McKanna for allowing me to listen to the audio ARC.

There is an ideological conflict that rests at the core of Rebecca McKanna's debut novel, Don't Forget the Girl. Set in 2015, Chelsea and Bree look back 12 years to find answers about what happened to Abby. The three were best friends, inseparable, until after an explosive Halloween party at the University of Iowa, Abby disappears, a presumed victim of Jon Allen Blue, an active serial killer sweeping across the midwest. Spurred by the recent discovery of Abby's remains and a true crime podcast host who knows what kind of ratings this will bring, Chelsea and Bree try to uncover the truth before Green is executed.

The narrative shifts perspectives and times, switching between the women's past and present. Abby's POV is told in the second person, which highlights the way that, as a victim, others tell her story for her. There is a sense of imposition that simultaneously removes Abby as the "I" in her own story, while substituting the reader in her place: a valuable rhetorical move for a novel invested in exploring the impact of true crime and public fascination with serial killers.

This is where the tension appears. While much of McKanna's novel is a straightforward mystery that uses the same tools as true crime to engage audiences, there is a critical examination of precisely these strategies. It's a difficult web to untangle and, in the end, I don't know where I stand, but I'm not sure McKanna knows either.

In the audiobook, Jennifer O'Donnell's narration does a great job bringing these characters to life. She's particularly adept at subtly conveying their emotional state even as different narrators cross decades.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

4 stars

This is such a promising debut. McKanna already has a spot reserved in my queue for the next effort.

12 years ago, Abby went missing, and in the present day, her former college pals Bree and Chelsea are still grappling with the unknowns and the outcome. This is all exacerbated by what feels like a likely scenario in today's world: an upcoming podcast season will be delving into some Abby adjacent content and forcing her survivors to have to face a lot of what they buried, not only in conjunction with her but also as it connects them to each other.

Per the description, I started this read anticipating flashbacks, maybe a secret or two, and a lot of anticipation when it comes to what Abby's suspected killer might have to offer (he is the main connection to the new podcast season). All of these expectations were met, but there's also more character-centered content that pushes this novel beyond a typical thriller. I particularly enjoyed the discussions of queerness and faith.

I am looking forward to more from this writer and will recommend this one for folks who are looking for a mystery that is somewhat understated and character driven.

3.5 stars ⭐️
This book was very interesting and not really what I was expecting it to be from the description. Instead of a thriller, this book was more of a reflection on the past and how it has affected these girls lives. It was told with alternating POV, dual timeline, and both third and second person point of view, which was very interesting and I don't think I have ever read a book like that. I thought that this book had some very insightful messages about people's fascination with true crime (which I am also guilty of) and how people often forget that there are real people affected by these things and they aren't just stories. It also gave some very interesting perspectives on sexism, media, friendships, and predatory relationships. I also found it very fascinating that the author chose to have one of the main characters be a priest, who was deconstructing religion and struggling with the idea of God. The characters were unlikable, but it was made to be that way and furthered the story. Despite not liking the characters, I still felt drawn to the story and wanted to hear more. Overall, I thought that this was a very strong debut novel and I would recommend listening to the audiobook, because the narration was great, especially the parts that were a podcast and it made it feel more real. I also think it was probably easier to listen to then read due to the way it was written. I would recommend giving this book a shot if you enjoy true crime, murder podcasts, and want to think about it all in a new way.

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio book version of this title in exchange for my review.

I really didn't care for this book. I listened to about 50%, increasing the speed every so often, just to try to finish it, but I had to quit. It's just not my type of book. Maybe for a fan of Rylie Sager or Ruth Ware, but not my type of mystery.

2 stars for 'it was ok'

Don't Forget the Girl by Rebecca McKanna is a story of three women, Chelsea and Bree, as they come together to heal and mourn the loss of their friend, Abby who went missing 12 years prior when they were all attending college together. The author keeps this story moving with multiple POVs along with multiple timelines. Although this book is marketed as a thriller, it is much more than that. The story visits difficult topics: loss, shame, the intricacies of friendships and parent-daughter relationships, and how flat out emotionally and physically taxing it can be just to exist as a women in this world.

Jennifer O'Donnell did an excellent job narrating this audiobook. I was convinced there was more than one narrator because it seemed like every character had their own vocal identity. The pacing was great and intonation was spot on.

Synopsis: Twelve years ago, 18-year-old college freshman Abby Hartmann disappeared. Now, the serial killer suspected of her murder, Jon Allan Blue, is about to be executed. Even on death row, Blue has not yet confessed to killing Abby. Her best friends, Bree and Chelsea, have been estranged since her disappearance, each struggling with their respective grief. When they decide to work with a famous postmaster to get the truth, their lives crumble.

Thoughts: This was another more literary suspense read. While there is an undertone of mystery, this is really about honoring the women who were affected by Jon Allan Blue— so often we remember the killers and often forget the victims. McKenna has flipped the script on this and really showcases the ways in which victims of crimes experience long-lasting impacts. This certainly had moments that were thought provoking, but I did wish it had a bit more action to balance out the emphasis on the characters and their lives.

It is 2015 and murderer and suspected serial killer, Jon Allan Blue, is set to be executed. Abby disappeared in 2003, days before Blue murdered several sorority girls and has been long suspected of killing Abby, too. With his execution looming, everyone is talking about it. There is a book and a new TV series. Bree and Chelsea, Abby's best friends, just want all of the chatter to go away. They also want answers, but with Blue set to be executed in a few weeks, time is running out.

I wouldn't categorize this as a thriller. There is very little suspense. You know Abby is dead. You know Blue is thought to have killed her. Most of the book takes place twelve years later, so these facts are well established to the characters. I am honestly not sure what this book is supposed to be about. Coming of age fits it best, I suppose. Accepting yourself.

This is told through three POVs. Bree and Chelsea, in 2015, third person narrative. Abby, in 2003 leading up to her disappearance, in second person narrative. The change from third to second person was always jarring. I hated Abby's chapters because of it.

The audiobook is narrated by Jennifer O'Donnell, who is a narrator unfamiliar to me. It was fine, just a bit slow paced. I typically default to most books at 1.5. This one I sped up first to 1.75, then to 2.0.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Don’t Forget the Girl by Rebecca McKanna. This book was the perfect summer read! The definition of unputdownable! So many moving parts that all come together at the end! Couldn’t stop reading it! The narrator was amazing! So easy to listen to! Thanks RB Media and NetGalley for the ARC!

2 ⭐ Read
5 ⭐ Audiobook Quality

Thank you Rebecca McKanna , Net Galley and RB Media-Recorded Book for providing me with an ALC of "Don't Forget The Girl".

Audio Review:
The narrator Jennifer O'Donnell did a fantastic job holding my attention throughout the course of this book. Her dictation and emotional inflection really brought the story to life. While I wasn't familiar with her work prior to listening to this novel I look forward to listening to more of her work in the future.

Book Review:
The premise of this book immediately grabbed my attention after reading the blurb. Serial Killers are often spoken about long after they've committed their heinous crimes, our society produces so much True Crime media yet the representation for the victims is minimal and that truly seems like an injustice.

I had high hopes that the plot of this book would match the emotional response the blurb pulled from me but the writing style unfortunately left me feeling disconnected from the story almost entirely. It is marketed as Thriller but it didn't hold the attributes I have come to expect from one.

One aspect that I struggled with was the decision to have two of the characters Bree and Chelsea narrated in third person while Abby was narrated in first person. It felt so disruptive to the flow of the story I was already struggling to stay connected to.

Another aspect that nearly caused me to DNF this novel was Bree's decision to have an affair with her barely legal college student. As a reader barely entering into this world it gave me an instant dislike to one of the core characters of this book.

I truly believe that every story has a market and while I am definitely not the target market I can see how aspects of this book may appeal to some. The author tackled several sensitive topics such as grief, self discovery, over coming trauma and the power of true friendship.

I hope that this novel reaches it's core audience.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio ARC. I loved that this story focused on the victims, as this is normally not the case; however, I struggled to get through this. I was just bored. Bored = NO.

For me, personally, this was too much literary/women's fiction and not enough thriller. It really dragged for me in the last 30% because.it was repetitive. But I'm sure a lot of people will love it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ALC.. I was highly intrigued because I’m from Nebraska and liked all the Nebraska/Iowa references. I liked the multiple POVs but hated how Abby’s was wrote. The ending kinda confused me but overall I enjoyed the story.

AHHHH! I am so thankful to Sourcebooks Landmark, Rebecca McKanna, Netgalley, and RB Media for granting me both audiobook access and a digital copy of this twisty, missing person's mystery gone awry. Don't Forget the Girl is set to hit shelves on June 20, 2023, and I promise it's worth the pre-order, and try not to bite off all of our fingernails with this plot-twisting fear-mongering tale.